Critical Posthumanist Studies in Literature | S2| 8 Feb|Nucleus of Learning and Development

Posthumanist Studies in literature are centered primarily on the
socio-political and existential connotations of human in science fiction. Cyborg Studies is a sub-genre in science-fiction as the term cyborgs is represented as a hybrid form of humans and machines. The course aims to examine the theoretical inputs of Posthumanist philosophy in oral and written mode across literary studies, media studies & culture studies. This course will also enable the students to interrogate the Cyborg metaphor and Human-Technology entwinement through a gendered lens. Posthumanist Cyborgs challenges the traditional notions of human identity and embodiment and also provides a pathway for the cyborg future through the technological advancements. Some of the key concepts of posthumanism articulated in the works of Francesca Ferrando, Rosi Braidotti, Katherine Hayles, Stefan Lorenz Sorgner, Friedrich Nietzche and Felix Guattari will also be examined; these formulations include the metahumanism, transhumanism, cyborg studies, Overhuman and Anthropocene.
Outcomes:
1.Introduction to Posthumanist Literature and the terms associated to it and also to apply theoretical and methodological aspects of Posthumanism in textual engagements.
 To interrogate the cyborg metaphor and human-technology entwinement
through a gendered lens.
 To synthesize the ideas of literature with a focus on AI and science fiction
 The critical inputs of Posthumanist philosophy are evaluated through visual
mode across literary studies, media studies & culture studies.
 To examine the Posthuman bodies in medicine particularly through
biotechnologies, cosmetic surgery and illness in the future of literature and
medicine.
 To experiment with a Posthumanist analysis of disabled young people in
relation to the notion of the assemblage.