Posthumanism vs. Transhumanism: From the “End of Exceptionalism” to “Technological Humanism”

Abstract

Posthumanism and transhumanism are often identified. However, modern researchers indicate the fundamental difference between these intellectual schools. The fundamental idea of posthumanism is the rejection of biological, ethical, and ontological anthropocentrism. Transhumanism focuses on changing and improving natural human characteristics through biological, technological, and cognitive modifications. While posthumanism draws attention to the crisis of humanism, transhumanism is the latter’s heir. Scientific and ethical consequences of posthumanism, as well as the sociocultural potential of transhumanism, are considered in this article. Posthumanism carries risks of shifting the value focus from man to other objects, which in the long term can lead to a critical decrease in the value status of man. Transhumanism has the potential to preserve man as an effective economic and cognizing agent. It is suggested that Russian society has a sociocultural potential for moving towards “technological humanism.”