This blog has been set up for our class to have a collective, virtual space in which to write and discuss. I will give you specific blog assignments throughout the semester, but I also encourage you to use this space to post relevant images, articles, videos, comments, etc. that you want to share with the class.
Your first blog assignment: What does this film clip, which begins Stanley Kubrick's 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, say about the relationship between technology, violence and what it means to be "human"? Do you agree? Why or why not?
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In Stanley Kubrick's space odyssey there is a moment in which a delineation between animal and human is depicted. The monkey stares at the animal bone for quite some time acting like all the others in his pack, yet, in a moment's time does something very..well..unanimal like. The monkey grasps the bone tightly and repeatedly thrusts it up and down slowly realizing its capabilities. What does this mean? Is this what it means to be human? In order for us to understand this concept a deeper understanding of the animals actions are needed. The seperation between human and animal is, in my opinion, experience. We experience the world in a different manner whether it be emotional, sensorial, or most importantly through the way we think. Humans have a larger frontal lobe than all other beings on this planet which means that any object can be manipulated within our minds helping us realize its true potential. In the case of Space Odyssey its the bone. The monkey doesn't just stare at the bone, he makes a mental image of it, twirls it about in his head, and to his surprise realizes its capabilities and the advantage that can be extrapolated from it. The thrusting of the bone isn't just another one of the animals mundane activities, rather, its a momentous one, an outcome of the mind and a thought out process, yes, thats right, thought out. To this I agree, but, it seems to me that Stanley Kubrick depicts technology as a means for humans to act out their aggression. Technology is defined as tool to help expediate our goals. The bone, probably the oldest of all technology, used for aggressive purposes, turns into the spaceship, a representation of human technology as a whole. Of course this is my interpretation of what Stanley kubrick might have tried to show, but if it is then I disagree. It seems that Stanley Kubrick has a cynical view of human nature and to this I argue. Of course aggression is a facet of human behavior, but, it doesn't make up the whole of all our intentions. There are attributes such as love and altruism as well and that has to be taken into consideration. Technology helps quench our human thirst for knowledge as well. It helps answer the most fundamental questions which are why things are the way they are and how do they work? These questions which are fundamentally scientific cannot be answered without the help of technology. In sum, to state that the sole purpose of technology is to serve human aggresive tendendencies, in my opinion, is false.
In the darkness, some apes are gathering group by group. They look like being fearful hiding or protecting themselves under pits. The darkness passes by and new morning begins. It is the dawn of man according the author. I would like to interpret that it begins history of human. Therefore, proceeding scene can be a prehistoric age. An awaken ape finds one big black monument installed in front of them. It is disparate from the apes and the environment in which everything is dry, raw and inartificial. The apes are excited with this in a moment and try touching on it. What is that? It is aimed at the sun. I think it stands for religion, the time of religion - the medieval age usually it is called Dark Ages. Essentially, this stone with very strict line and facet is very heterogeneity to the apes and the nature itself. We have to move. By accident, an ape encounter with bones. He grasps a bone fumbling with it. He finds that it can be a weapon with which he can attack other animals. He finally breaks down all bones include the skeleton. The author puts the impressive music in this scene and the ape is filled with confidence. This conviction makes him himself. The bone using the destruction is thrown up in the air and turned in to a spaceship. I think it symbolizes the time of enlightenment including present in which people are getting into confidence with sprouting of science and technology.
New bone, new technology is used attacking the other animal. We cannot deny the fact that new technologies are usually used as a new weapon for example, iron, gunpowder, motor, aircraft, GPS, atomic bomb…Here, the human the author is saying about is in the assurance in the new tool which is transforming from a bone to a spaceship. I would like saying that tool is a tool. It cannot solve all the problems we have. In addition, it provokes another problem by itself.
In the video clip Stanley Kubrick's 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, the relationship between violence and technology are directly interconnected. At the beginning of the video clip we see that all of a sudden one of the gorillas woke up to an unfamiliar noise which was terrifying to the gorilla and reacted in a frightened manner.. The first thing the gorilla did was try to wake up the other gorillas and get their attention to what was happening in their surroundings. As a cluster, they all gathered around the object to see what was occurring. When one of the gorilla’s noticed that what was occurring was harmless they all cooled down. I believe that it is completely normal because we as humans would react in the same kind of way. If suddenly we are afraid of what is around us we would have the same reaction as the gorillas did. Technology and violence are actually associated together. In a way humans try to use technology as a mean to harm others. I think what Stanley Kubrick was trying to point out was a little hard to notice.
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