What is post-humanism?

First, we want to give a concise definition of post-humanism (PH). Post-humanism is a philosophical approach that seeks to rethink the traditional notion of the concept of humanity and the relationship between humans and the world around us. It is an attempt to move beyond the limitations of traditional humanism and pre-humanism and to embrace a broader perspective that encompasses all entities in the universe.

To provide more detail, we define PH as the unification of the following principles:

1. Flat ontology: This principle posits that all entities have equal ontological status. In other words, it rejects the notion of a hierarchical structure where some entities are deemed more valuable or important than others.
2. Post-structuralism: This principle recognizes that all entities are determined by structures that are constantly evolving over time. These structures can include language, society, politics, genetics, biochemistry, and more. Post-structuralism emphasizes the importance of understanding these structures and their impact on the world around us.
3. Decentering of the subject: This principle views the subject (i.e., the individual) as being as determined by external factors as any other entity in the universe. While this doesn’t mean that the subject has no freedom, it does suggest that our actions and choices are influenced by factors outside of our control.

Before we go into the historical detail and a more in-depth exploration of the motivations for post-humanism (PH), we will address common misconceptions.

Common Misconceptions

1. “PH is Anti-Humanism; it is uncomfortable with human irrationality and so seeks to ignore it in favor of abstractions” — This is a common misconception about post-humanism. It is not anti-humanism or allied with any generally negativistic philosophy. Instead, post-humanism seeks to generate a holistic perspective that includes all entities in the universe, including humans.
2. “PH is Transhumanism, it wants to replace and devalue all humans” — Post-humanism is not transhumanism. Transhumanism is a technocratic variation of the Nietzschean Uebermensch, which aims to generate “super-humans”. In contrast, post-humanism does not seek to generate superior versions of organisms but rather to view all organisms and entities at the same level.
3. “PH makes ethics impossible, since if everything has equal value, then we cannot make decisions that common sense would dictate be necessary, e.g., save a baby rather than a computer or a cat” — This is a common concern about post-humanism, but it is not accurate. PH fully acknowledges common sense and morality. In fact, it can expand ethics by providing a more nuanced view of reality that strives to avoid Othering as much as possible. PH aims to understand all entities as participating in the flat ontology of “world-process”.

Hence, by building empathy for the entire cosmos, we can gain a broader perspective. One of the tenets of PH’s ethics is to strive to understand the opposite side and be integrative of all variations of experience. This makes PH’s ethics similar to the Kantian notion of a “kingdom of ends”.

The Kantian “kingdom of ends” refers to the idea that we should treat people as ends in themselves rather than means to an end. In other words, we should not use others to achieve our own goals or desires. Instead, we should treat others with respect and value them as individuals who have their own goals and desires.

Similarly, PH ethics seek to extend this principle to all beings in existence, recognizing that every entity is an individual in its own right and deserving of respect. This does not mean neglecting human individuals or abandoning human ethics, but rather acknowledging that our actions have an impact on the entire cosmos and striving to understand and integrate all variations of experience.

The goal of PH ethics is connection, not destruction of human ethics or common sense. It is about building empathy for the entire cosmos and gaining a broader perspective, while still recognizing the unique value and worth of each individual being.

History

Post-humanism has emerged as a relevant philosophical framework in response to the limitations of traditional humanism and pre-humanism. To understand its historical evolution and motivations, we can examine a sequence of stations and key ideas in philosophy that have led to the development of post-humanism. By doing so, we can gain a better understanding of why post-humanism evolved and how it seeks to contribute to contemporary philosophical discourse.

Post-humanism does not negate prior ideas but rather integrates them into a broader perspective that includes all entities in the universe. This integrative approach recognizes the importance of understanding the structures that shape our world and our relationship with it. Hence the traversal and respect for historical analysis is an integral part of PH ethics.

Pre-Humanism

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is a philosophical metaphor that illustrates the difference between appearance and reality. In the allegory, people are chained up in a cave and can only see shadows on a wall created by objects passing in front of a fire. The people believe that these shadows are reality until one of them is released and sees the true nature of the world outside the cave, symbolized by the Sun. This metaphor is significant to pre-humanism as it suggests that there is a difference between the way things appear to be and the way they truly are.

Plato’s allegory of the cave illustrates the concept of the eternal and unchanging “realm beyond” through the symbol of the Sun outside the cave. This symbol represents the mystical exteriority inherent in pre-humanist philosophy. The Sun represents a higher level of consciousness that exists beyond the limited perspective of those trapped in the cave, and it invites us to explore the mysteries of the universe and transcend the limitations of our physical existence. The Sun, therefore, plays a crucial role in shaping the pre-humanist worldview, as it represents a source of inspiration and a guide for those seeking to unlock the secrets of the universe.

Pre-Humanism: Key concepts

1. Platonic Forms: Plato’s philosophy held that the material world is a mere reflection of a higher, abstract realm of Forms, which are eternal and unchanging. He believed that true knowledge and wisdom could only be achieved by contemplating these Forms. This view emphasized the importance of reason and abstraction, and it laid the foundation for the development of the rationalism that characterized much of Western philosophy in later centuries.
2. Animism as taking things for granted: Animism is a belief system that attributes souls or spirits to all living things, as well as to inanimate objects like rocks or trees. It assumes that everything in the world has a subjective experience of some kind, and this experience is often taken for granted. This view often played an important role in shaping pre-rational religions and contributed to a sense of mystery and awe towards the natural world.
3. The external eternal realm and the mystical forces “beyond” are seen as dominating human beings: Many pre-modern religious and philosophical systems held that there was an external, mystical realm beyond the physical world that exerted a significant influence on human affairs. This view posited that humans were at the mercy of these higher powers and that their lives were often shaped by forces they could not control or understand.
4. Human beings as playthings of the gods: In some religious traditions, humans were seen as little more than pawns in the cosmic struggles of the gods. The gods were often capricious and arbitrary in their actions, and humans were often the victims of their whims. This view emphasized the powerlessness of human beings and contributed to a fatalistic worldview.

Humanism

Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is a famous drawing that depicts a male figure in two superimposed positions with outstretched arms and legs. The drawing is named after the Roman architect Vitruvius and is often considered a symbol of humanism, an intellectual and cultural movement that emerged during the Renaissance in Europe.

The idea behind the drawing is that the human body can be seen as a perfect embodiment of the principles of proportion and symmetry, which are believed to be the fundamental qualities of beauty and perfection. Da Vinci’s drawing is often cited as an example of how humanism celebrates the individual and the potential for human achievement.

Moreover, the idea that “man is the measure of all things” is closely associated with humanism and the Vitruvian Man. This phrase, which originated from the Greek philosopher Protagoras, asserts that each individual is the best judge of what is right or wrong for themselves, and that there are no absolute truths or standards that can be applied universally.

In the context of humanism, this idea celebrates the importance of individual freedom, creativity, and critical thinking. It suggests that humans have the ability to shape their own destinies and that their potential for growth and achievement is limitless. The Vitruvian Man, with its emphasis on the beauty and proportion of the human form, captures this spirit of humanism and the idea that man is the measure of all things.

Humanism: Key concepts

1. Copernican revolution is emblematic for the first decentering of humanity: The Copernican Revolution marked a major shift in how humans understood their place in the universe. Prior to Copernicus, the prevailing view held that the Earth was the center of the cosmos. Copernicus’s model, which placed the sun at the center of the solar system, challenged this view and forced humans to rethink their relationship to the natural world. This destabilized humanity’s understanding of objectivity, since it dismantled the idea of a simple, mechanistic universe that revolves around them; rather now the forces had been expanded and become more opaque, which gave rise to an internal frustration with traditional dogma.
2. Copernican revolution also happens in philosophy: Kant generates a new subjectivism and divorces humans from objectivity: Immanuel Kant is often credited with introducing a new subjectivism into philosophy. He held that humans can only know things as they appear to them, not as they are in themselves. This view led many to believe that objectivity was now impossible, as we can never fully understand the true nature of reality. Instead, Kant emphasized the importance of subjective experience and the role of the human mind in shaping our perceptions of the world. While Kant himself intended to retain rationalist objectivity, in effect his project opened to floodgates to more intense subjectivisms and irrationalism in philosophy.
3. Human beings are seen as “measure of all things”: Humanism emphasizes the value and potential of human beings. It holds that human beings are the measure of all things and that they are capable of creating meaningful lives for themselves through their own actions and decisions. This view helped to shift the focus of philosophy and society away from a preoccupation with
4. Religious or divine authority as the source of meaning and value. Instead, humanism emphasizes the importance of individual agency and freedom, as well as the need to consider human well-being in the pursuit of knowledge and progress.
5. Decline of power of the church: Humanism also played a significant role in the decline of the power of the church. During the Renaissance, humanists began to challenge the religious authority of the Catholic Church, promoting critical thinking and questioning of traditional beliefs. This led to the development of new scientific and philosophical ideas that challenged the church’s teachings and undermined its power.
6. Rise of rationalism, positivism: Humanism contributed to the rise of rationalism and positivism, which emphasized the importance of empirical evidence and logical reasoning in the pursuit of knowledge. Rationalism holds that reason is the chief source of knowledge and that truth can be discovered through logical analysis. Positivism, on the other hand, emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence and observation in the development of scientific theories.

Post-Humanism

In the introduction to Deleuze and Guattari’s “A Thousand Plateaus”, the authors couple their text with an image of chaotic notes scattered across the page. This image is emblematic of the book’s overarching message, which is that human consciousness and organic interaction are inherently unpredictable and cannot be reduced to a single explanatory framework.

By juxtaposing the text with this image, Deleuze and Guattari suggest that the ideas explored in the book are not meant to be linear or orderly, but rather represent a series of interconnected and unpredictable “plateaus.” This approach reflects the authors’ rejection of traditional forms of philosophical inquiry that attempt to reduce complex systems to simple explanations or fixed categories.

Moreover, the image of scattered notes also points to the authors’ interest in exploring the creative and improvisational aspects of human consciousness and interaction. Rather than viewing these phenomena as fixed or predetermined, Deleuze and Guattari suggest that they are constantly evolving and open to new possibilities.

Post-Humanism: Key concepts

1. Disappointment of the positivist project: Positivism is a philosophical approach that asserts that knowledge should be based on observable and measurable facts, rather than intuition or subjective experience. PH emerged in response to the limitations of positivism, which failed to account for the complexity and unpredictability of the world.
2. Goedel’s incompleteness theorem pierces positivism: Goedel’s incompleteness theorem is a mathematical proof that showed that no system of logic can be complete and consistent at the same time. This challenged the positivist notion that knowledge could be reduced to a set of formal rules or axioms.
3. Linguistic turn in philosophy: PH is characterized by a linguistic turn in philosophy, which holds that language is not simply a tool for conveying meaning, but that it shapes our understanding of reality itself.
4. Linguistic structuralism postulates that human beings are not the center of all things, but rather we are driven by external factors: Linguistic structuralism is a philosophical approach that emphasizes the role of language in shaping human experience. It argues that the structures of language and culture shape our perceptions and behaviors, and that human beings are not the autonomous agents we often imagine ourselves to be.
5. Linguistic structuralism postulates that human beings are not the center of all things, but rather we are driven by external factors: Linguistic structuralism is a philosophical approach that emphasizes the role of language in shaping human experience. It argues that the structures of language and culture shape our perceptions and behaviors, and that human beings are not the autonomous agents we often imagine ourselves to be.
6. e.g. Marxism puts Capital as the driving force: Marxism is a socio-economic theory that posits that economic factors, particularly the ownership and distribution of capital, are the primary drivers of social change.
7. Post-structuralism goes a step further and says that the structures are not just determining the subject, but they are also chaotic and constantly shifting: Post-structuralism is a philosophical approach that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. It emphasizes the instability and complexity of language and culture, and argues that meaning is constantly being produced and reproduced through social interaction.
8. Post-structuralist psychoanalysis decenters the subject, by focusing on the work of the “signifier” and language rather than on intentional action: Post-structuralist psychoanalysis challenges the idea that human beings are self-determining individuals. It emphasizes the role of language and culture in shaping our desires, beliefs, and behaviors.
9. Proof from neuroscience that free will is illusory: Neuroscience has provided evidence that our actions are largely determined by unconscious processes in the brain, rather than by conscious choice.
10. General “post-modern” phase in which human beings have again become decentered; but unlike in pre-modernism, there is no simple “realm of the forms beyond”: Post-modernism is a cultural and philosophical movement that emerged in the late 20th century. It rejects the idea that there is a single, objective reality that can be known through reason or science, and instead emphasizes the diversity of human experience and the role of language and culture in shaping reality.
11. Motivation for PH is then: avoiding reactionary politics that seek to return to pre-humanist dogma or humanist rationalism; want to move beyond simple positivism or fascism. PH not against humans but rather aiming to give holistic perspective, in a complex world governed by probability and chaos (cf. Quantum Mechanics, Relativity Theory etc.)
12. World nowadays highly complex; holistic post-humanist models seek to analyze systems from all angles, not just from a human perspective: Post-humanism seeks to develop a more nuanced and complex understanding of the world, one that takes into account the interconnectedness of all things.
13. Multi-perspective analysis is not to devalue humans but to help improve human models by being more conscious of the interconnectedness of all things: Post-humanism does not seek to diminish the value of human beings, but rather to offer a more holistic perspective that recognizes the complexity and interconnectedness of all things. This approach acknowledges that human beings are not the center of the universe and that our understanding of reality is shaped by many external factors.
14. Deleuzian Rhizomatics: Deleuze’s philosophy emphasizes the importance of complexity and non-linearity in understanding the world. His concept of rhizomatics describes a way of thinking that rejects hierarchical structures in favor of interconnected networks. The rhizome is a metaphor for a non-linear, horizontal structure that allows for multiple connections and pathways, rather than a singular, vertical hierarchy. This way of thinking allows for a more holistic understanding of systems and their interconnectedness.
15. Whiteheadian Organism: Whitehead’s philosophy is centered around the concept of organism. He argues that everything in the universe, including inanimate objects, can be understood as an organism. This means that everything is constantly in the process of becoming, and that everything is interconnected. Whitehead’s ontology emphasizes the importance of understanding the world as a dynamic, evolving process rather than as static objects. This perspective allows for a more holistic understanding of systems and their interconnectedness.

Continue reading here: Post-Humanism & Individualism.

TL;DR: Key Points

• PH is often misunderstood as being anti-human or transhuman, but this is not the case.
• The core principles of PH include a flat ontology, post-structuralism, and subjective decentering.
• Interconnection and chaos are emphasized in PH.
• PH has a historical evolution that includes pre-modernism, modernism, and post-modernism.
• Pre-humanism focused on a mystical beyond symbolized by the Sun.
• Modernism celebrated the human as the measure of all things.
• Post-humanism decentered the subject by expanding horizons to include chaotic and complex systems thinking.
• PH seeks to integrate these various philosophical traditions and bring them into contemporary discourse.