University of Twente Student Theses
Bionic Limbs and Body Ownership: Conceptualizations about the body and the relation of the users with bionic limbs.
Marinakis, I.P (2016) Bionic Limbs and Body Ownership: Conceptualizations about the body and the relation of the users with bionic limbs.
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| Abstract: | This thesis answers to the question: Considering discussions from the phenomenological tradition and postphenomenology theoretical framework regarding body perception, how do bionic limbs urge us towards new understandings about body ownership? In order to answer to this question, the text is divided in three main chapters: First, I examine the multiple levels of difference between traditional prosthetic limbs and bionic limbs by providing a historical overview of prosthetic limbs and the current agentic nature of bionic limbs. Second, supported by scientific evidence regarding the perception of prosthetic limbs, I examine how an analysis from the theories of Merleau-Ponty would approach the perception of prosthetic limbs. I argue that his theory is insufficient and provide three critical points, two of them are found in literature and one is my contribution. Third, I analyze bionic limbs from a postphenomenological point of view and, I also use empirical research found in literature to support my claims. Specifically, I argue that due to the multiple levels of agency and experience bionic limbs may incorporate or provide a more suitable approach would be to conceptualize the body ownership of users of bionic limbs as hybrid. For this purpose, I introduce the term ‘hybrid body ownership’, which summarizes the experience of the discrepancy in meanings among involved actors regarding what can be a non-corporeal body part, the other actors’ agency, and the experience of bodily owning something that is not completely yours. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 08 philosophy |
| Programme: | Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society MSc (60024) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/71377 |
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