A Critical History of Posthumanism

Abstract

A meaningful discussion about the history of posthumanism first requires distinguishing the concept from a range of related concepts with which its history is intertwined. Thus, one must first recognise that a historical analysis of posthumanism is not synonymous with the history of medical enhancements. Indeed, discussions about posthumanism are not necessarily about enhancements and, even when they are, they do not always involve the advocacy of enhancement freedoms. To this extent, there is no single form of posthumanism that we can identify that portrays a unified history of the term. Moreover, theories of posthumanism do not wholly reveal the moral import of enhancement ambitions. Additionally, the history of posthumanism is not synonymous with the history of technology and neither are theoretical contributions to this literature found exclusively within philosophical inquiries into technology. Certainly, technological change has become central to contemporary articulations of posthumanity. Indeed, the term implies an emergent leap from some present status of being human, to a future characterization as after humanity. In this sense, one must suppose that this is necessarily technological subject matter. However, I will endeavour to present a more diverse view of the history of posthumanism, which relies on the range of literatures and biopolitical spheres that have contributed to shaping concerns about the future of humanity. From this interpretation of posthumanism, it will be possible to more fully appreciate the growing prominence of this term, as it is employed in often oppositional ways to argue for or against the use of human enhancements. The connections across disciplines is critical to build into our theoretical appreciation of posthumanism, so that we come to terms with the breadth and depth of its implications. For instance, posthumanism speaks to such issues as animal ethics by interrogating the significance of species boundaries, a concept that has shaped a series of moral commitments to both animals and humans. Such discussions are prominent in discussions about hybrid embryos, for instance, and the broader debates about transgenics. Each of these topics can be viewed from the perspective of posthumanism and a number of emerging philosophical stances can be characterized as posthumanist responses to such prospects.