“To think of the body is to think of the world”
David Le Breton
The 21st century has arrived and with it so many technological changes have appeared that probably few human beings were able to imagine in earlier times. Reflecting on and studying the link between technology and society is a vital task in the work of various specialists, precisely because understanding how the use of technology modifies our practices, habits and daily life, clarifies idiosyncratic traits that characterize a social group.
For example, imagine what it was like to live in the last two decades of the last century: we had to remember phone numbers, we used maps to move from one State to another, our limited social networks worked through an agenda or through inquisitive questionnaires between high school youth (the famous gossip), we played on the streets and had long sidewalk conversations with our best friends. On the contrary, nowadays, we carry almost infinite memories in our pockets, worthy of a duel against Funes the Memorious.
The appearance of GPS has almost completely displaced the traditional map, our social networks are huge and we do not need physical presence to be able to play or have a long conversation with another human being. Technological artifacts share with us many facets of our daily lives and, stealthily, are occupying and renewing spaces in the workplace, and in the educational, hospital and sexual context. It is a fact that these gadgets are penetrating the most intimate and mysterious corners of our being. However, despite the wide range of technologies that we could study, my objective on this essay is to outline some of the main points of interest in the field of sexuality for possible anthropological, philosophical, or other disciplinary studies. The reason is, precisely, that I consider it important to know the origin and analyze the main repercussions of the integration of sex dolls in our daily lives.[1]
Reflecting on and studying the link between technology and society is a vital task in the work of various specialists, precisely because understanding how the use of technology modifies our practices, habits and daily life, clarifies idiosyncratic traits that characterize a social group.
How did the fascination with artificial bodies for sexual purposes arise? In the work The Metamorphoses, Ovid (2008) told the story of the King of Cyprus, Pygmalion. He was a very demanding king and for a long time he was in search of the perfect mate. In particular, Pygmalion was very strict in his inclinations and preferences. For this reason, even though he met the most beautiful women of that time, none of them managed to meet his demands. Tired of being immersed in this endless search, the king set out to do justice by his own hand and decided to sculpt a work that would fully meet the characteristics that he had sought so much. This statue was named Galatea. She was a woman who had the utopian beauty that he had so desperately sought. Every part of her body was true concupiscence materialized in marble. Pygmalion daily caressed and kissed her all over her lofty body, talked to her and shared his deepest dreams in which together they enjoyed delicacies and ambrosias that no one had ever known. Pygmalion loved her with all his being.
Pygmalion daily caressed and kissed her all over her lofty body, talked to her and shared his deepest dreams in which together they enjoyed delicacies and ambrosias that no one had ever known. Pygmalion loved her with all his being.
On the day of the cerebration to Venus, the king implored and begged to her to grant life to Galatea. However, it seemed that Venus was not attentive to Pygmalion’s requests. Sad, unmotivated and disappointed, the lover went home and watched Galatea for hours until he decided to kiss her for an infinite instant. Little by little, he felt how the cold lips of his beloved turned into a warm feeling of calm and pleasure. Galatea was alive and Pygmalion was the happiest king in the world!
At what point does intrigue and / or curiosity turn into desire? The pleasure of bodily relating to a humanoid object is an instance of a paraphilia.
The paraphilia that I have been outlining throughout this text is classified under the name of Galateism (Ferguson, 2010). However, it is interesting to note that the presence of this paraphilia haunts today’s societies. That’s how it is, dear reader! This figure can be found in many corners of our daily life. For example, in film, television or in the record industry.[2] Nonetheless, there are few cases in which these bonds are happily consummated because, among other reasons, these devices lack truly human bonds. In other words, they will be able to pass The Turing Test, but as the popular Mexican saying goes, “not everything that shines is gold.”[3]
When we think about the implications and consequences[4] of this technological and social phenomenon it is important to note, for instance, how these artificial bodies are questioning and modifying our very notion of body. In the work L‘adieu au corps (Le Breton, 2007) the author emphasized that, due to technological development, in modern societies the importance of the body has been put aside, as is the case of virtual sex or spaces in which it seems that the body is superfluous. However, it is essential to emphasize that in the same contemporaneity there is also a great effort to preserve that corporeal bond with the world, to represent in the most reliable way possible that experience that lovers have in their encounters. In other words, whether artificial or biological, the body will never be superfluous.
When we think about the implications and consequences of this technological and social phenomenon it is important to note, for instance, how these artificial bodies are questioning and modifying our very notion of body.
Biography
[1] Ferguson, A. (2010). The sex doll: A history. Carolina del Norte: McFarland & Company
[2] Gérôme, J. (1890). Pigmalión y Galatea [Imagen]. Recuperado de: http://www.metmuseum.org
[3] Le Breton, D. (2007). Adiós al cuerpo. Ciudad de México: La cifra editorial.
[4] Ovidio, P. (2008). Metamorfosis. Libros X. Madrid: Editorial Gredos
He is a physical anthropologist from the National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH), who holds a Master’s degree in Cognitive Sciences from Research Center in Cognitive Sciences (CINCCO). Currently, he is a PhD student in the Philosophy of Science, Graduate program at UNAM. His line of research is philosophy of cognitive sciences.
