A Cyborg Manifesto

A Cyborg Manifesto is an essay by Donna Haraway, first published in the journal Socialist Review in 1985. Haraway is a prominent cross-disciplinary scholar and professor who is best known for her work in feminist theory and science and technology studies. The essay is a theoretical text about cultural changes under the Reagan administration, especially in regard to rapidly advancing technology. The “cyborg” is a metaphor used throughout the essay to represent the rejection of rigid cultural boundaries in favor of social union.

This guide uses the version of A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist- Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2016.

Summary

Donna Haraway begins A Cyborg Manifesto by explaining what she means by the word “cyborg.” In science fiction, cyborgs are entities that are part organism and part machine. Haraway will also use the cyborg as a metaphor for various political ideas—it represents different concepts depending on the topic, and it often contains contradictions. 

Haraway explains that cyborgs also exist in reality, as technology has become so pervasive that the line between what is human and what is machine has disappeared. She asserts that the categories “human” and “machine” have become meaningless, and that the same is true of humans and animals. There is no convincing singular essence that separates humans from animals, so these two categories are also meaningless. As a result, “nature” and “culture” cannot be thought of as separate, either. 

Haraway also argues for the baselessness of the categories “physical” and “nonphysical,” since computers and humans are made of mainly “nonphysical” components, like electrical currents or code. She recognizes that her restructuring of society is scary and difficult to accept, but she implores her readers to try to let go of the idea that these categories carry any meaning or weight.

Haraway moves on to the topic of feminism. She writes that since gender is a social construction, there is no essential quality that makes a person female. “Female” is not a legitimate identity, and there is no singular trait that binds all women together. Haraway argues that people should build unities not on identities, but on affinities. For example, Black American women formed an alliance out of their shared experiences, not identities. Feminists tend to link their feminism to other political identities, like socialist feminism. Haraway criticizes this tendency, arguing that it ends up marginalizing women who don’t agree with the same politics. She believes that letting go of labels completely and joining together with other people who are in similar positions and have shared goals is the best way to build groups that can offer support and fight oppression.

Haraway writes that the mid-1980s is a unique time, as technology is progressing so rapidly and is so widespread that it will permanently change society. She believes that society is undergoing a complete restructuring from organic to informational. For example, reproduction will be restructured to replication, labor will become robotics, and the mind will become AI. Nothing in the new, advanced society is natural. Instead, everything is based on information. This drastic change requires a completely new culture and politics. For example, since nothing has a natural essence, including “female” as a category, reproduction will be conceived of on an entirely new scale. Thus, feminism must adapt to the changing experiences of women.

Haraway discusses the economic implications of the new information age. As production of electronics increases, unemployment among men increases. More labor is unskilled, and those who do have jobs (both men and women) are exploited by poor working conditions. More women are employed than ever before, so they have more responsibility than ever, as many women have to care for their families without the help of a spouse’s income. These disadvantages affect Black people disproportionately, as they are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed. Much of the production of electronics occurs overseas, so many young women in underdeveloped countries have jobs, but they are often the only source of income for their families. Haraway worries that the dangers of this type of economy put more power than ever in the hands of the rich, and that marginalized people will become even more oppressed.

Haraway states that the division of public versus private is no longer meaningful. Instead, society is structured like an integrated circuit, or microchip, and is made up of multiple networks. All boundaries in this type of society are permeable. Haraway suggests seven main networks within the bigger network: home, market, paid workplace, state, school, hospital, and church. The roles within these domains, as well as how they interact with each other, will change with new advancements in science and technology. Haraway again warns that feminism will have to adapt to this changing structure. She is hopeful that the new structure may allow for new kinds of social unities and alliances.

In the final section of her essay, Haraway extends gratitude to many of the writers who inspired her. She discusses the impacts of a few feminist science fiction writers whose novels feature cyborgs. Science fiction cyborgs have the effect of forcing readers to adjust their expectations and reframe their mindsets. This is what Haraway hopes to achieve with her cyborg, too.