A Phenomenological Analysis of the Corporeal Schema or Body-Image

in Ghost in the Shell of Mamoru Oshii

Abstract

This paper attempts a phenomenological analysis of the corporeal schema or body-image in the movie Ghost in the Shell directed by Mamoru Oshii. The analysis focuses on the main character, Major Motoko Kusanagi, to examinee three types of the corporeal schema or body-image in the movie. Prior the incident of Puppet Master , the reconstructed ‘body'with connection to the machine formed an element of the consciousness of ‘self ‘for Major Kusanagi. The corporeal schema or body-image suggests the post-humanistic frame. After the encountering to Puppet Master, the intentionality towards the ‘body'as organic unity appeared in the thinking of Major Kusanagi. Such intentionality is the remains of humanistic frame. At the end of the movie, the network and interaction with ‘others'became the ‘body' for Major Kusanagi. The concept of the ‘body'as such network and interaction means the next stage of the post-humanism.