Organisms, Prostheses and the Limits of Cyborgization

In this paper, we explore the notion of substrate independence in light of the pos- sibilities and limitations of prosthetic incorporation. We examine particularly the role of touch for human cognition and the challenges of sensory rehabilitation in bionic reconstruction. We discuss the implications and questions arising here in the con- text of the phenomenology of lived embodiment, the adaptability of organisms, and the anthropological implications of human-technology relations. While functional- ist, transhumanist, and critical posthumanist outlooks see the difference between the organic and inorganic as questioned (or even overcome) by prosthetics and the formative effect technology has on humans, we argue, to the contrary, that techno- logical artifacts can enhance human capabilities, but they cannot completely sub- stitute the organic body, which always remains the superordinate entity and frame of reference to which any systemic linkage of humans and technology remains bound.