Café Dissensus

By Vidya Hariharan

Introduction: Skin as Map

Human skin is more than just the outermost layer that covers our bodies; it is an intricate organ that serves a variety of purposes that are essential to our survival and general health. The skin is essential for preserving homeostasis as it regulates body temperature and protects the body from outside dangers. Our skin is a map that records our experiences, feelings, and journeys, from the faint lines left by laughter to the scars denoting victories and defeats.
Our skin is covered in a vast array of sense receptors that allow us to feel pressure, pain, temperature, and touch. The skin acts as our contact with the outside world through tactile senses, promoting exploration, communication, and emotional bonding. Our views of reality are shaped by sensory experiences that are stored in our skin and contribute to our memories, feelings, and sense of self. The skin acts as a barrier separating the inner sanctuary from the outside world, making the human body a universe unto itself.

Post-Human Skin: The Existential Quandary

Beyond conventional ideas of human skin, the term “post-human skin” refers to synthetic, enhanced, or modified forms of skin that arise in the context of post-humanist discourse and technological breakthroughs. Though the concept of post-human skin poses moral, social, and philosophical issues, it also creates opportunities for creative applications in a variety of industries. By providing synthetic skin grafts and implants for tissue engineering, reconstructive surgery, and wound healing, post-human skin technologies have the potential to completely transform the area of biomedical engineering. Prosthetic limbs, exoskeletons, and wearable technology may all incorporate post-human skin to improve tactile awareness, comfort, and sensory feedback for amputees and other disabled people. The seamless integration of synthetic materials and human tissue may be made possible by bioengineered skin interfaces, which would enhance the practicality and performance of prosthetic devices. In urban, industrial, and natural settings, sensors and materials inspired by post-human skin could be used for pollution detection, health surveillance, and environmental monitoring. Bioinspired sensing mechanisms, such those that imitate an animal skin’s sensory abilities, may be able to shed light on ecological dynamics, changes in the environment, and the effects of humans on ecosystems. The development of flexible, wearable, non-invasive sensing devices for early illness diagnosis, preventive healthcare interventions, and personalised health monitoring may be facilitated by post-human skin technology.

The concept of post-human skin in films offers a rich and imaginative exploration of themes related to identity, technology, and the human condition. Film and television portray post human cyborgs melding biology and technology, “creatures simultaneously animal and machine.”[1] These movies frequently show individuals interacting with synthetic, enhanced, or altered skin forms, or undergoing skin transformations. Hollywood productions including “Blade Runner” (1982) and “Blade Runner 2049” (2017), “Ghost in the Shell” (2017), “Ex Machina” (2014), “The Matrix” (1999) trilogy, and “Upgrade” (2018) have all depicted the use of post-human skin.[2] Bollywood has also successfully portrayed post-humanism in films such as “Robot 2.0”. The bioengineered entities in these films are essentially identical from humans, but for their distinctive skin and lack of emotions. Cybernetic improvements, such as prosthetic bodies and synthetic skin are regularly applied to the characters. These films explore themes of embodiment, awareness, and technology, posing issues with identity formation and the haziness of human-machine distinctions. The cyborg’s post-human skin functions as a visual and thematic trope, signifying the fusion of organic and synthetic elements. These films use post-human skin as a potent metaphor to explore existential, moral, and philosophical issues about consciousness, the nature of humanity, and the effects of technology.

Skin as symbol of Identity

Visible indicators of an individual’s identity, skin colour, texture, and markings represent a person’s genetic make-up, exposure to the environment, and personal experiences. The skin is further adorned by piercings, tattoos, scars, and ornaments, which turn it into a space for narrative and self-expression. Skin is imbued with layers of significance by cultural, societal, and personal connotations that shape notions of identity, belonging, and attractiveness.

Our skin serves as a transitional area that separates the inner and outside worlds, the self from the other, and inclusion from exclusion. The study of liminality encourages examination of the skin as a place of ambiguity, change, and transition where identities are negotiated and boundaries are blurred. The liminal quality of the skin calls into question binary ideas about space and encourages contemplation of fluidity, hybridity, and plurality. The distribution of resources and the geographical organisation of society are shaped by power relations, as highlighted by critical spatial theory. The skin turns into a contested space where marginalisation, inequality, and social hierarchies are etched and challenged. This essay is a philosophical inquiry into the concept of post-human skin where the realms of science, ethics, and identity intersect.

The skin becomes a place of privilege, oppression, and resistance through racialized, gendered, and class-based discourses, reflecting larger geographical inequities. Like maps, the skin carries imprints of both personal and societal histories, identities, and experiences. The colour, texture, and patterns on the skin act as map markers, imprinting sociocultural narratives and spatial meanings on the body. The overlapping axes of identity – race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and ability – that influence spatial behaviours and perceptions are revealed by critical cartographies of the skin. Body painting, tattooing, and ornamentation are examples of embodied resistance activities that subvert normative spatial logics and restore autonomy over the body. People challenge power dynamics, overturn spatial limits, and claim their rights through acts of embodied resistance.

Michel Foucault’s philosophical observations on authority, knowledge, and discipline provide a distinctive viewpoint for comprehending the skin as a space. The idea of the “docile body” as proposed by Foucault and his examination of disciplinary mechanisms clarify the ways in which the skin is involved in normalisation, resistance, and social control processes. The idea of disciplinary power, as suggested by Foucault, highlights the way organisations and social conventions control and discipline people to adhere to standards. People are exposed to standards and expectations that are imposed via the skin through behaviours like grooming, clothing rules, and body language. In his work, Discipline and Punish Foucault urges the reader to consider how the body becomes a surface on which power relations are enacted, resulting in outward manifestations of societal control and normalisation.

The term “biopolitics” refers to Foucault’s theory of population control and management through normalisation, classification, and monitoring methods. Biopolitical interventions take place on the skin, subjecting bodies to examination and classification according to socioeconomic, ethnic, and gendered standards. Beyond simple physical examination, skin surveillance encompasses procedures like border control, racial profiling, and surveillance technology that track and regulate people according to their outward appearance. The examination of technologies of the self by Foucault places special emphasis on self-transformation, self-surveillance, and self-discipline activities. Beauty routines and skin care procedures can be viewed as technologies of the self that people use to control and shape who they are. By analysing how societal norms and power dynamics impact skin care practices and how they contribute to the development of identity and subjectivity, Foucault’s theory challenges us to think critically about these relationships. The possibility of resistance and subversion inside systems of power and control is also made clear by Foucault’s work.

Post-human Skin in Indian Mythology

The complicated relationship between the physical and metaphysical realms is highlighted by ideas like the Hindu concept of the “atman,” or soul, and “maya,” which refers to the illusionary character of the material world. Traditional ideas of embodiment and identity are called into question by post-human skin technology, which has prompted a re-examination of these philosophical frameworks considering technological augmentation. India’s diverse mythology, folklore, and traditions provide an ideal setting for investigating stories involving post-human skin. Stories of Gods and Goddesses endowed with magical powers, including the capacity to assume human shape or wear divine skin, connect with the concepts of augmentation and metamorphosis found in post-humanist discourse.

In Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu is believed to have incarnated in various forms or avatars to restore cosmic order and protect ‘dharma’ (righteousness). These avatars often involve a transformation of the deity’s physical appearance, including changes in skin colour, texture, or form. For example, in the avatar of Narasimha, Lord Vishnu appears as a half-man, half-lion being, symbolizing a hybrid form with attributes of both human and animal. The story of Lord Ganesha, is an oft-quoted example of post-human symbolism in Indian mythology. According to legend, Lord Ganesha’s original human head was severed, and it was replaced with the head of an elephant by Lord Shiva. This transformation signifies a divine intervention resulting in a hybrid form, blurring the boundaries between human and animal. In the Ramayana, Sita undergoes a trial by fire to prove her purity and fidelity to her husband, Lord Rama. As she emerges unscathed from the flames, her skin untouched by the fire, it is seen as a miraculous manifestation of her divine virtue and integrity. In the Ramayana, again, Maricha, the asura, is a shape-shifter. He evolves into a golden deer to attract Sita’s attention. In the “Aranya Kandam” Maricha is described thus:

His white stomach was shining like jasmine flowers and like a moon as well as diamond, the side part of the body which was golden in colour was shining like Madhuka flowers, rest of the body was shining like filaments of lotus flowers and hooves were like Vaidoorya stones and its legs were slim and strong and in good shape.[3]

Do these representations indicate that the post-human has always existed in the Indian imaginary? From these manifestations of post-human skin, it is obvious that ancient Indians believed that although skin is a marker of identity, an alteration to it did not change the individual’s character or transform him into the ‘Other’.

Identity and the ‘Other’: a Levinasian Enquiry

Numerous ethical concerns, including those related to identity, autonomy, consent, equality, and the fuzzy area between of human-machine borders, are brought up by the investigation of post-human skin. Informed consent and bodily autonomy are issues that are raised by the development and application of post-human skin technologies. People may have to decide whether to have operations involving artificial or enhanced skin, as well as how such changes would affect their sense of self and identity. Technologies involving post-human skin provide a challenge to conventional ideas of authenticity and identity. Skin modifications have the potential to obfuscate the distinction between natural and artificial, prompting inquiries over the definition of humanity and our self-definition vis-a-vis technology. Post-human skin technologies carry the same risk as any other technology development, they could worsen already present inequalities. Systemic biases, geographic location, or socioeconomic class can all be barriers to accessing sophisticated skin alterations or improvements, which can result in differences in access to healthcare and prospects for growth.

The philosopher Emmanuel Levinas places a strong focus on face-to-face interaction with the ‘Other’ as the cornerstone of morality. According to Levinas, seeing the face of the ‘Other’ upends our egocentrism and forces us to fulfil an ethical obligation. This ethical obligation arises from the interaction itself and calls for a response to the Other’s humanity and vulnerability rather than being predicated on reciprocity or logical calculation.[4] In a world where the distinctions between human and non-human creatures are becoming increasingly hazy, the convergence of post-humanism and Levinasian ethics raises concerns about how we comprehend the ‘Other’. What does it mean to meet the ‘Other’ in a post-human setting? What effects do new technologies have on our moral obligations to care for beings that do not conform to our conventional ideas of the human ‘Other’? The concept of post-human skin is one possible direction for investigation. The limits of the human self are expanded or reinterpreted in the context of technological innovations like wearables, implants, or even virtual identities. How does the idea of a face-to-face meeting apply in a world where technology may function as a mediator or allow communication through digital interfaces?

As Diane Perpich writes: “Whereas things are given to consciousness in sensible experience through the mediation of forms or concepts, the face is present, according to Levinas, in its “refusal to be contained” in a form.”[5] In light of post-humanist ideas, Levinas’ emphasis on the face as the centre of ethical relevance may need to be re-examined. It could be argued that any creature capable of exhibiting vulnerability or alterity, whether human or non-human, warrants ethical scrutiny rather than just a physical face.

Conclusion

The study of post-human skin explores the nexus between embodiment, technology, and identity while navigating challenging ethical, philosophical, and cultural issues. We negotiate the complex layers of meaning buried within the skin as a barrier, a canvas, and a place of resistance through the lens of Foucauldian analysis, and philosophical viewpoints of Emmanuel Levinas. Traditional ideas of the self are called into question by the idea of post-human skin, creating new opportunities in the fields of environmental sensing, biomedical engineering, and human-computer interaction.  But it also poses important queries concerning equality, autonomy, consent, and the essence of humanity in a society increasingly mediated by technology. In the end, the investigation of post-human skin challenges us to re-evaluate our interactions with technology, our conceptions of who we are, and our moral obligations to the ‘Other’ in a quickly changing field of human enhancement and augmentation.

[1] Haraway, Donna. “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century.” Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature, Routledge, 1991, pp. 149

[2] Krueger, J. “At Home in and Beyond Our Skin: Posthuman Embodiment in Film and Television.” In: Hauskeller, M., Philbeck, T.D., Carbonell, C.D. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Posthumanism in Film and Television. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137430328_18

[3] Vedanta Spiritual Library: Aranya Kandam.42 Sita sees a golden deer. https://www.celextel.org/ramayanam/aranya-kandam/4/

[4] Levinas, Emmanuel. Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority. Translated by A. Lingis, Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1969.

[5] Perpich, Diane. “Figurative Language and the ‘Face’ in Levinas’s Philosophy.” Philosophy & Rhetoric, vol. 38, no. 2, 2005, pp. 103–21, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40238209. Accessed 13 Mar. 2024.

Bio:
Vidya Hariharan is working as Assistant Professor in the Department of English at SIES College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Sion West for the last 11 years. She has worked in schools and colleges in India and abroad. She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies from the University of Mumbai. Her areas of academic interest are Cultural Studies, Spatiality Studies and Ecocriticism.

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