Posthumanism

Posthumanism or post-humanism (meaning "after humanism" or "beyond humanism") is an idea in continental philosophy and critical theory responding to the presence of anthropocentrism in 21st-century thought.

In general, posthumanism looks closely at how humans relate to other creatures, technology, and the world around them. This way of thinking can lead to a more detailed and accurate idea of what it means to be human. It involves rethinking old ideas about right and wrong (ethics) and core beliefs (philosophy) to recognize that humans are connected to all life and systems, not just other people.

Posthumanism posits that we must see that humans are tied to the nonhuman such as plants, animals, ecosystems, habitats and technology. This includes our likewise animal nature (biology), our connection to the environment (ecology), and the tools and extensions we create (technology). It also points out that we need to develop a new sense of care, duty, and modesty because nonhuman elements are increasingly seen as having an active role in the world. After all, the aim of posthumanism is not to escape reality in the future or rely only on technology. Instead, it seeks a deeper, more complex understanding of our present situation and where we belong within it.

Posthumanism is a new way of thinking that arose because traditional views separating human from nonhuman are breaking down. For example, over time, every argument for human exceptionalism has disintegrated in the face of cognitively creative animal behavior. Posthumanism has emerged as a critical framework. It directly questions the primacy of the human such as in anthropocentrism, species-based discrimination such as in speciesism, and life-controlling structures such as in biopolitics. This conceptual shift has tangible effects, informing practices like bioart and digital literature, and causes institutional reform across the life sciences and theoretical disciplines. As our worldview is revised by digitalization, globalization, and technological augmentation, posthumanism offers the necessary alternative viewpoints to address the significant uncertainty that current technological, economic, and ecological challenges pose to human, nonhuman, and planetary existence.