The Instrumental Beyond the Human: Transhumanism, Emanation Theory, and Critical Posthumanities for the 21st Century

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Being “Instrumental Beyond the Human” proposes a radical reconceptualization of transhumanism through the lenses of emanation theory, post-humanist critique, and avant-garde cultural studies. It builds upon the traditional foundations of classical liberalism and the history of science by juxtaposing it with emerging digital humanities. Informed by the works of historical and contemporary cultural theorists, this treatise explores how socioeconomic narratives shape technological prosperity and its implications for humankind’s enhancement toward the avant-garde. By drawing upon critical infrastructures, this essay will move beyond traditional techno-optimism to interrogate how power, labor, gender, and race all intersect with emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, prosthetics, and even virtual reality in enigmatic ways. They do so by combining speculative narratives with an examination of sociocultural hauntologies rooted in anthropology. Avant-garde scholarship also investigates how immersive storytelling and posthuman narratives challenge conventional notions of selfhood, agency, and justice. By integrating new perspectives from the critical posthumanities, transhumanist discourse argues for a more inclusive and ethically reflective transhumanism rooted in the modern avant-garde. Rather than envisioning human enhancement as a centered, neutral, or utopian project, it highlights the necessity of confronting biases, power imbalances, and sociopolitical consequences embedded in the development of new technologies from all ends. Ultimately, this treatise provides a blueprint for the ongoing cultural, ethical, and political negotiation that reflects the broader avant-garde academic currents of the 21st century.