Human as a Servomechanism: the Limits of Organ Projection

Abstract

The article examines the principle of organ projection elaborated by E. Kapp. It expresses the philosopher’s attempt to carry out an anthropological reduction, which means considering technical achievements as projections of human essence. According to Kapp, the process of creating technology appears to be an act of unconscious self-creation and projection of the internal structure of hu­man organs outward. Despite the criticism of contemporaries, his ideas have proved their significance for the further development of philosophical thought. In this connection the author of this article proposes to trace how in the interpreta­tions of P. Florensky, M. McLuhan and modern researchers the concept of organ projection moved away from the original physiological approach, gradually ex­tending the field of possible applications to intelligent systems and artificial intelli­gence, which replace the most complicated human operations. Meanwhile, the ac­tual possibilities of the latest technologies are becoming a main theme not only for current scientific knowledge, but also for contemporary art. The article suggests that the idea of organ projection in its latest modifications can be used as a research optic to analyze technological art and digital reality. Practices of modern culture thus refute the thesis that the concept of organ projection can be applied only to some of the elemental tools, while for most of the more developed ones it proves difficulty of identification of their connection with organic prototypes.