J 2015

Fakes, Forgeries, and Robots

HORÁKOVÁ, Jana

Basic information

Original name

Fakes, Forgeries, and Robots

Authors

HORÁKOVÁ, Jana (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

VLAK : Contemporary Poetics & the Arts, Praha, Litteraria Pragensia, 2015, 1804-512X

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Article in a journal

Field of Study

Art, architecture, cultural heritage

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

is not subject to a state or trade secret

References:

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/15:00085710

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords in English

fakes; forgeries; robot

Tags

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Changed: 30/3/2016 18:34, doc. Mgr. Jana Horáková, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

Karel Čapek's drama character, the artificial worker called Robot from the play R.U.R., Rossum's Universal Robots (1920/21), is a powerful and widespread concept of an embodied artificial intelligence. It can be even said that Čapek articulated a primary goal of artificial intelligence research in his famous play about Robots. However, his concept of Robot shouldn't be reduced to mere technological invention, similar to those known from Jules Verne’s novels. Rather we should ask ourselves why he wanted to invent the neologism (and the drama character) Robot? It is argued that this is because he needed the new word to be able newly articulate the concept of an (artificial) man for the twentieth century. To show the effect of the Čapek’s neologism the Robot character will be introduced from perspective of theatre semiology, and semiology of fakes and forgeries (I. Osolsobě, U. Eco). The argument leads towards claim that Robot, as a sign within theatre sign system, establishes a new category in the taxonomy of artificial man that serves as a means of questioning of dichotomy human vs. machine that is abandon for the concepts of becoming human and becoming machine in R.U.R. plot already.

Links

MUNI/A/1179/2014, interní kód MU
Name: Výzkumné sondy k dějinám hudební kultury na Moravě, především v Brně, část II.
Investor: Masaryk University, Category A