H. P. Lovecraft, Photography, and the Transhumanist Imagination

IF 0.3 4区文学 Q3 HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Configurations Pub Date : 2022-09-01 DOI:10.1353/con.2022.0025

JiHae Koo

引用次数: 0

Abstract

ABSTRACT:This essay explores photography’s relationship to the transhumanist imaginary of American weird fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft; transhumanism refers to the belief that humans can evolve through technological advancements. I argue that Lovecraft’s seemingly naïve conception of photography as unerringly “objective” actually reflects his understanding of photography as a transhuman technology that can transform human consciousness. However, Lovecraft’s transhumanist vision is plagued by the recognition that the endpoint of transhumanist evolution is the annihilation of the individual body and the specific desires on which one’s sense of self is grounded—a vision Lovecraft is attracted to but finally cannot embrace.

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h·p·洛夫克拉夫特:《摄影与超人类主义想象》

摘要：本文探讨了摄影与美国怪诞小说作家洛夫克拉夫特的超人文想象的关系；超人类主义是指相信人类可以通过技术进步而进化。我认为，洛夫克拉夫特看似天真的摄影“客观”概念实际上反映了他对摄影作为一种可以改变人类意识的超人类技术的理解。然而，洛夫克拉夫特的超人类主义愿景受到了这样一种认识的困扰，即超人类进化的终点是个体身体和自我意识所基于的特定欲望的毁灭——洛夫克拉夫特被这种愿景所吸引，但最终无法接受。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Configurations Arts and Humanities-Literature and Literary Theory

CiteScore

0.50

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0.00%

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期刊介绍： Configurations explores the relations of literature and the arts to the sciences and technology. Founded in 1993, the journal continues to set the stage for transdisciplinary research concerning the interplay between science, technology, and the arts. Configurations is the official publication of the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts (SLSA).