Issue 352 Are cyborgs still human? June 6, 2014

This is the first of two articles based on the show Futurescape hosted by James Woods.  Here we will look at if cyborgs can still be considered human.  So let's discuss.

Why ask?  Well it is important as people throughout history have redefined the meaning of human.  So there are instances where people are left out of that category and are thus sometimes subjected to some of the harshest and most awful forms of treatment imaginable.  And thus these people who we can classify as cyborgs must not be excluded.

What constitutes a cyborg:  It is a person who has had parts of their body replaced by that of a machine.  In some definitions this means a certain percentage of their body is replaced by mechanical parts.  So people with prosthetic limbs and even some implants can be considered a cyborg.  But the cyborg we are talking about are people who are more Machine than man.  They must have over 50% or greater of their body replaced by a mechanical device.  

So let's question:  So is a person with over 70% of their body replaced by machinery still human?  What if their brain is replaced (or partly replaced) by mechanical components?  Do we still classify these people as human?  For me, so long as the brain is there, then you are still human.  In other terms, you can have your brain in a glass jar which is controlling a robot like in the Star Wars movies and I will still consider you a human being (even if you may be disturbing to look at).  But those who have their brains partly replaced or completely replaced are another matter.  I can see if you have brain damage and you replace the parts of it that control motor functions and involuntary functions as still human.  But what about memory and personality.  Can these people who have those components of the brain be replaced be considered still human?  Or are they merely acting out the part?  I personally hope that these people are still human, but technology is not there yet where we can know for sure if people, who I believe in the future will try to obtain immortality via this method, can still be considered human.  The reason I believe this is because a soul is not something that can be copied onto a hard drive?  Right?

Conclusion:  So long as the memory and thought functions remain independent from the machine and the person is able to think for themselves, they are still human no matter how many mechanical parts they have.  But I fear once we go beyond and do full brain replacements as some scientist hope to one day accomplish, will it spell the end of humanity?  More answers, can and will lead to more questions.  So I leave you to ponder how far we can become a machine before we stop being human.