A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century

Donna Haraway’s 1985 essay “A Cyborg Manifesto” is a radical reimagining of feminist theory in the context of late twentieth-century technoscience. Published in Socialist Review, it introduces the cyborg as a metaphor for transcending traditional boundaries and constructing new feminist politics.

The Cyborg as Political Myth

Haraway defines the cyborg as a hybrid entity—part machine, part organism—that defies conventional binaries:

• Human vs. machine
• Physical vs. non-physical
• Natural vs. artificial
• Male vs. female

She argues that the cyborg is not just a technological figure but a political myth that enables feminist theorists to rethink identity, embodiment, and coalition.

Critique of Essentialism and Dualism

Haraway critiques essentialist feminist frameworks that rely on fixed categories like “woman” or “nature.” She challenges:

• Biological determinism
• Psychoanalytic models of gender
• Marxist and radical feminist reliance on unified subject positions

Instead, she proposes irony, affinity, and partiality as tools for feminist coalition-building.

Socialist-Feminist Reorientation

While grounded in socialist feminism, Haraway critiques its traditional focus on labor and class as insufficient for addressing the complexities of technoculture. She argues that:

• Technology reshapes labor, identity, and embodiment
• Feminist politics must engage with science and technology critically and creatively
• Coalition politics should replace identity-based solidarity

Her vision is one of fractured but strategic alliances across difference.

Technoscience and Feminist Engagement

Haraway calls for feminist engagement with technoscience, including:

• Biotechnology
• Informatics
• Military-industrial systems
• Reproductive technologies

She warns against romanticizing nature or demonizing machines, advocating instead for situated knowledges and critical participation in technological development.

Post-Gender and Post-Human Futures

The cyborg metaphor enables a post-gender politics that:

• Rejects fixed sexual identities
• Embraces multiplicity and contradiction
• Challenges patriarchal control over reproduction and embodiment

Haraway envisions a future where feminist politics are not bound by traditional humanist assumptions but open to posthuman possibilities.

Feminist Art and Irony

Haraway’s manifesto is also a work of feminist art and literary experimentation. She employs:

• Irony and parody
• Fragmented narrative
• Theoretical collage

These stylistic choices reflect her commitment to disrupting dominant epistemologies and embracing complexity.

Methodological Contributions

The essay contributes to feminist methodology by:

• Introducing the cyborg as a heuristic device
• Blending science fiction with political theory
• Advocating for situated, partial, and ironic knowledges

It has influenced fields ranging from feminist STS (science and technology studies) to posthumanism and digital humanities.

Contemporary Relevance

“A Cyborg Manifesto” remains relevant to:

• Feminist critiques of AI and robotics
• Digital identity and online embodiment
• Intersectional and coalition-based politics
• Environmental and reproductive ethics in technoculture

Its legacy continues in debates about gender, technology, and the future of feminist theory.

Conclusion

Donna Haraway’s “A Cyborg Manifesto” is a landmark in feminist thought, offering a provocative and enduring framework for rethinking identity, politics, and embodiment in the age of technoscience. Her cyborg is not a utopian fantasy but a strategic figure for navigating the contradictions of late capitalism and forging new feminist alliances.

This summary was generated by Copilot based on Donna Haraway’s essay published in Socialist Review in 1985.