Oxford researchers suggest the law might have to reassess what it considers person and property.
Goold and her team highlight a challenge to this: In some cases, integrations could be considered not only physical and technological, but also psychological. In a 2008 report, researchers led by Adam Saradjian shared some of the subjective experiences of amputees living with prostheses. “Over the years you just get used to them. It’s just like a part of your skin,” one said. Another commented, “I’ve never thought of it. I just think that it’s my arm.”
For these individuals, the prosthesis returns a sense of “wholeness” a “profound embodiment” which is expressed when, as one individual in Saradjian’s study shares, “amputees feel that their artificial limb is somehow part of them, a simple example of this is that I wouldn’t like just anyone putting their hand on my artificial knee, even though it is not actually part of my body’s flesh, it is still mine even though it’s a piece of plastic and metal.” When prostheses are treated in this way, perhaps they should be considered part of the the “living self”—a body that is otherwise protected by assault, battery, rather than by laws protecting against property damage. Goold told me, “It is important to think about what happens when this eventually comes up. There are currently no sufficient rules to compensate people for possible psychiatric harm, but it will be important to recognise and understand these harms so ensure individuals are compensated sufficiently.”
