The
future of society lies in the figure of the cyborg -- a mixture of natural
and artificial components. How will we cope with our social organization
-- legal, ethical, religious, politcal, and economic systems? Surely not
by our old modernist methods of either organic romanticism ("the pure and
natural is always better") like the unibomber, or techno-optimism ("acheiving
total order and regulation through social engineering") like the 1939 World's
Fair. A postmodern society will require us to acknowledge, legitimate,
and accept the hybrids. In many ways there is nothing new about this. Being
a "racial hybrid" was illegal in many parts of the world. Having artificial
limbs is look down on by many in society. Societies which attempt to forced
their citizens to be a member of a "pure race" or a "natural woman" or
other strict categories end up in fascism or dictatorship. The movie "Alien
Resurrection" is a perfect illustration for how an impure, hybrid society
can be organized. The only romantic humanist turns out to be a robot; the
disabled cyborg turns out to be the most abled warrior; the human-alien
genetic mix is the one who gets them safely back to earth.
Scientists use genetic material to clone Lt. Ellen Ripley in order
to obtain the alien Queen embryo that was gestating inside her while
she was on Fiorina 161. They make seven attempts before succeeding
with the eighth. However, the clone of Ripley also contains alien
DNA mixed with her own and carries traits from both species.
Ripley must figure out who she is, what her purpose is on the Auriga
and where her allegiances lie.
A robot-humanist