Andrew DeMarco University Honors in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government Capstone Advisor: Professor Andrea Tschemplik, CAS: Philosophy Standing Alone: Understanding the Emerging Danger of the Stand Alone Complex Japanese director and screenwriter, Kenji Kamiyama, has written works on the implications of the acceleration of technology, but it is in his most famous work, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, that he renders his most insightful and ominous theory about the changing nature of human society. Kamiyama proposes that in an increasingly interconnected society, the potential for individuals to act independently of one another, yet toward what may appear to others to be the same goal increases as well. Standalone individuals may be deceived into emulating the actions of an original actor for a perceived end when neither of these exist­­becoming “copycats without originals.” Kamiyama’s theory of the Stand Alone Complex is a valid one, and the danger it heralds needs to be addressed before the brunt of its effects are felt by those unable obtain remedy. What little literature exists on the theory is primarily concerned with medialogy, but the examination herein addresses the theoretical and philosophical grounding on which the theory stands. This study finds sufficient grounding for the theory through theoretical and philosophical discourse and historical case study. The practical and moral implications of the Stand Alone Complex are addressed through related frameworks, as Kant’s moral system provides a different perspective that informs legal discussions of intent. The implications for national governments are found highly dangerous, and further discourse on the theory is recommended, despite its “juvenile” origins. Standing Alone: Understanding the Emerging Danger of the Stand Alone Complex With a flick of his wrist, the film­director uploaded the trailer of his movie. He sits back, and unbeknownst to him, the world begins to burn around him. There is little doubt that the advent of the internet has facilitated the communication of ideas and the interconnectivity of the planet. History teaches that technological revolutions, such as the invention of the printing press and the harnessing of steam power, fuel further change in unexpected areas­­the Protestant Reformation, and the birth of Communism. Japanese thinker, director and screenwriter, Kenji Kamiyama, has written many works on the implications of the ongoing, rapid acceleration of technology, but it is in his perhaps most famous work, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, that he renders his most insightful and ominous theory about the changing nature of human society. Kamiyama’s theory of the Stand Alone Complex is a valid one, and the danger it heralds needs to be addressed before the brunt of its effects are borne by those without the capacity to obtain remedy. What little literature exists on the theory is primarily concerned with medialogy, but the examination herein seeks address the theoretical and philosophical grounding on which the theory stands. When sufficient grounding for the theory be found through theoretical, historical, and philosophical analysis, the Stand Alone Complex’s implications will be examined, and potential solutions for the practical and moral problems that it gives rise to will be presented and evaluated. Kamiyama’s Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex continues his tradition of exploring themes of trans­humanism, mind­soul dichotomy, and free will in dramatic form. In this work, Kamiyama particularly explores the possibility that the rapid technological breakthroughs in communication—via the internet, primarily—have fundamentally undermined the way in which human beings share ideas and information to the point where this act of communication itself is suspect. Kamiyama’s musings on his theoretical Stand Alone Complex are often regarded as confusing and rooted too far in fiction to be of any serious academic consideration. While it is true that Kamiyama’s exploration of this topic may have been somewhat hindered in its clarity by his particularly confounding and unforgiving style, it is not so unclear as to be impenetrable. Kamiyama’s choice of medium—namely, that of an animated series—does not endear itself to Academia because of a perceived immaturity, but Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex yielded anything but fiction. Aspects of the Stand Alone Complex have played significant roles throughout history, and psychological and medialogy studies provide empirical evidence supporting the claim that such a theory may be valid. The Stand Alone Complex as Illustrated The Stand Alone Complex, as Kamiyama presents it, is the result of the evolution of a global society, and thus is best understood in the context in which Kamiyama sets it in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Set in the near­future, the world of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is one similar to our own, yet all­too foreign—cars still line the streets, and people enjoy familiar goods, services and pastimes, but technology has advanced to the point where those who require prosthetics—even entire prosthetic bodies—can acquire fully functional cybernetic models at a price that prevents only the very poorest from receiving them1. 1 Kenji Kamiyama, 2002. Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Production I.G. As a result of this technological boom, individuals have become more and more reliant upon and connected to the “net,” a futuristic equivalent of the modern day internet that relies on virtual reality as well as the more familiar 2­D format that exists today. Cranial implants—owned nearly universally—allow individuals to access the net instantly, overlaying a browser over the individual’s vision and creating a literal “Heads Up Display2.” In such a connected world, increasing numbers of individuals have access to the same information and stimuli—in this case, through the net. To be clear—this system is not that of a “hive mind,” as Kamiyama writes at the very opening of his series: “It is a time when, even if nets were to guide all consciousness…toward coalescing, standalone individuals have not yet been converted into data to the extent that they can form unique components of a larger complex.3” This provision is the grounding for Kamiyama’s theory. In this connected world, Kamiyama reasons, individuals can independently come to the same conclusion in a matter, and act independently in such a way that it may appear, to onlookers, that a coordinated goal is being worked toward. To demonstrate, in this first season of the Ghost in the Shell series, Kamiyama provides the case of the Laughing Man. A prominent, influential capitalist is abducted and reported missing for several days. This capitalist then appears, suddenly, on a local weather report, as his kidnapper publically threatens him, at gunpoint, to confess to “the crimes he has committed”. The capitalist claims not to know what the abductor is talking about, and when the camera zooms on the abductor’s 2 Ibid. 3 Production I.G. 2014. “Interview: Kenji Kamiyama.” Accessed May 5. http://www.productionig.com/contents/works_sp/02_/s08_/index.html. obscured face, a logo of a laughing face ringed by the words “I thought what I’d do was I’d pretend I was one of those deaf mutes,” appears and masks his identity. Suddenly confronted with the necessity of having to commit violence, and unsure of what to do, the abductor panics and runs. While escaping, the abductor performs a herculean feat in order to ensure his getaway: he hacks the cybernetic eyes of all witnesses so that they display that same logo over his face4. The video of the attempted gunpoint­confession spreads like wildfire, and the hacking ability, bravery, and logo of the mysterious “Laughing Man” fascinate individuals of all ages. It is revealed, later in the storyline, that the abductor’s true intention was to inspire a demand for truth in a society full of “phonies”. The abducted capitalist had abused his influence and bribed government officials to prevent the patenting of a medicine that could have saved the lives of thousands, so that he could push his inferior one on the public—and his lies were accepted at face value by the unquestioning masses. However, the abductor’s message of truth­seeking is lost and perverted5. Using the Laughing Man logo as a screen, corporate competitors of the abducted capitalist begin to stage acts of corporate terrorism against his company­­and eventually against each other­­in the name of the Laughing Man. These acts received major media coverage, and morph the “Laughing Man’s” significance in the public eye. Due to his surprisingly reserved nature, disappointment with his society, and need to avoid authorities, the abductor and master hacker does not correct this perversion. Self­proclaimed “imitators” soon emerge, performing anti­capitalist and anti­authoritarian acts of terrorism in or under the name or logo of the Laughing Man. Kamiyama describes these imitators as “copy­cats without originals,” for they attempt to emulate acts that the original actor never undertook 4 Kenji Kamiyama, 2002. 5 Ibid. and act in accordance with an idea for which the original actor did not advocate. These imitators acted independently of one another, yet each in the same or similar way toward the same or similar end. Kamiyama and the characters he creates name this effect the Stand Alone Complex, as each individual forms a stand­alone unit that works to a seemingly coordinated goal6. The Stand Alone Complex Analyzed Kamiyama has never explicitly given an overview of the entirety of his theory of the Stand Alone Complex, but his texts, his series, and the research dedicated to the theory suggests that there are two main aspects of the Stand Alone Complex: the first concerning “Copy­cats,” and the second concerning the ease of symbolic perversion, degradation and loss of meaning.