PSS Donna Haraway Quiz

What, according to Haraway, is a ‘god trick’?

• the practice of men in power calling on divine power to justify their position

• the claim on absolute knowledge that comes a seemingly detached perspective

• the belief that humans can transcend their material existence and attain absolute truth.

• a technological breakthrough that grants humans omnipotent control over the environment and all living beings

Which paradigms are guilty of the god trick?

• 1. only relativism

• 1. only totalizing objectivity

• 1. both relativism and totalizing objectivity

• 1. neither relativism nor totalizing objectivity

Is vision from below better than vision from above?

• 1. No, because vision from above by definition sees more.

• 1. Yes, because vision from below is always unproblematic

• 1. No, because vision from below is more likely to deny the interpretive and critical nature of knowledge

• 1. Yes, because they are better at giving more adequate and realistic accounts of the world

The term “embodiment” and “disembodiment” are used by Haraway to express…

• • the optimal state of being for any given object

• • the complex relationship between an individual and their social, political, cultural, etc. contexts, that occurs as a result of their societal positioning, which in turn establishes situated knowledge

• • connection to one’s physical body and bodily processes

• • a feeling of comfort and trust in one’s knowledge and abilities that arises from consistent critical appraisal of the sensory and abstract world

Vision and visualization are common themes among Haraway’s works. What does Haraway specifically imply with her claim that visualization, as a tool, is a factor of embodiment?

• • the embodiment of one’s subjective vision is necessary to construct individual objectivity within the modern sciences 

• Vision is an objective lens by which everyone perceives the world, thus allowing for an embodied and universal viewpoint on matters in the sciences.

• • Visualization, as a tool, allows individuals to become more in tune with their spiritual selves, thus allowing for the embodiment of a rationalist mindset

• • Visualization is necessary for our understanding of the physical world, but not necessary in the abstract world, as embodiment is a purely superficial concept

How does Haraway define “rational knowledge”?

• • a synthesis of scientific myth derived from rationalism, and knowledge derived from our sensory experiences

• • access to critical knowledge that is only achieved when one reaches a complete state of being within themselves 

• • a state of passionate detachment from one’s field of study, which allows for emotional engagement at a distance, thus not hindering an individual from thinking critically

• • process of ongoing critical interpretation among competent interpreters, thus enabling power-sensitive conversations, given the interconnectedness of vision, situated knowledge and embodiment

1. What does Donna Haraway understand by the term ‘resourcing’?

• 1. the process of using objects for various purposes with the assumption of agency over the object

• 1. using other humans to produce knowledge for us

• 1. interpreting reality keeping in mind the inherent power relationships between objects

• 1. interpreting reality keeping in mind the inherent power relationships between agents

Bibliography Question

Haraway’s concept of a cyborg in her essay “Manifesto for Cyborgs” aims to shed light on what idea?

• 1. identity as construction

• 1. the impending doom of humanity under technology

• 1. the contrast between a fixed original human essence and constructed technology

• 1. a rich and creative genre of science fiction

Biblography Question

In her practical description of feminism within the sciences, Haraway states that one must look at the sciences with “double vision”. What does the context of this pre-existing term contribute to Haraway’s argument for the critical nature of feminism, with reference to Haraway’s own usage and definition of the term “vision”...

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• • Within Haraway’s works, double vision refers to the ability one gains to critique non-critical theories in a nuanced manner, following the social-constructivist approach.

• • Double vision refers to looking at scientific issues and theories with the same lens twice, at different periods in time, in order to grasp at the continuity of belief. This historical viewpoint is a key component of understanding the evolution of feminist critique.

• • Feminist theories resist fixation and stagnation, and the term reflects a desire to think critically while keeping our imaginations open, and viewing multiple viewpoints simultaneously

• • Double vision refers to impaired eyesight, and Haraway herself needed glasses

Does knowledge have to be complete and all-encompassing (totalizingly objective) to be valuable? Or is the feminist project of partial, situated knowledge useful for scientific discovery?