CFP: The Human and Its Other/The Human in Posthuman Technology (11/30/05; ACLA, 3/23/06-3/26/06)

full name / name of organization: 
Steven A. Benko
contact email: 

CALL FOR PAPERS

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Princeton, NJ, March 23-26, 2006

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American Contemporary Literature Association Annual Meeting: The Human =
and
Its Other

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Seminar Title: The Human in Posthuman Technology

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Seminar Organizer(s): Steven A. Benko, Meredith College
(benkos_at_meredith.edu)=20

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Answers to questions of how technology impacts definitions of what it =
means
to be human, what is other than human, what constitutes the good, =
natural
and normal for human life and society, and how subjects can constitute,
experience and communicate their own otherness through technology vary
widely along the spectrum from humanism to posthumanism. At one end are
bioconservative responses that suggest a shared and unchanging =
conception of
human nature threatened by scientific and technological advances that =
alter
or enhance human capabilities and functioning. At the other end are
posthuman responses that use science and technology as an occasion for =
the
kind of individuation that relativizes and resists humanism=92s =
essentializing
ethnocentrism.=20

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This seminar will explore literary, philosophical and religious =
depictions
of science and technology in terms of how what is human, other than =
human,
and the relationship between the two is defined. Possible topics =
include:
defining the posthuman through literature; the use of technology to =
define
the human and its other in a specific author or genre; the possibility =
of
developing a critical theory of technology or an ethics of technology
vis-=E0-vis the human, its other, and obligations to preserve what it =
means to
be human or an obligation to the other; the use of religious rituals, =
tropes
or imagery to restrain, encourage, and determine the morality of =
scientific
and technological development and the depiction of what it means to be
human/posthuman.

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The list of accepted seminars for the 2006 Annual Meeting has been =
posted
and individual paper proposals are now being accepted.

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The conference is organized primarily into seminars (or =93streams=94), =
which
consist either of twelve papers, if they meet on all three days of the
conference, or eight to nine papers, if they meet on two days. Papers =
should
be 15-20 minutes long=96no longer=96to allow time for discussion. To =
propose a
paper, first consult the list of accepted seminar proposals. If you find =
a
topic there that fits your paper, select that seminar when you fill out =
the
paper proposal submission form. If you do not find a seminar topic that =
fits
your paper, you may propose your paper for the general pool, out of =
which
additional seminars are likely to be formed. Paper proposals are 250 =
words,
max. Proposals are due no later than November 30th. Paper proposals =
can be
submitted through the ACLA 2006 website
(http://webscript.princeton.edu/~acla06/site/). If you have any =
questions
about this particular seminar, contact the seminar organizer at
benkos_at_meredith.edu. =20

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Received on Mon Oct 24 2005 - 00:13:25 EDT