Posthumanism

Posthumanism is a broad field of thought and critique that challenges human-centered hierarchies in philosophy, science, and culture. It seeks to decenter the human in favor of a more-than-human approach that recognizes the entanglement of humans with nonhuman actants such as animals, technologies, ecosystems, and objects. While there is no single doctrine, most strands share an interest in rethinking subjectivity, agency, and knowledge beyond liberal humanism and anthropocentrism.

Origins and influences: posthumanist thought builds on post-structuralism, feminism, animal studies, and science and technology studies. It has been shaped by writers such as Donna Haraway (the Cyborg Manifesto), N. Katherine Hayles, Rosi Braidotti, and Cary Wolfe. The term encompasses several strands, including critical posthumanism, posthumanities, and speculative or future-oriented posthumanism.

Core concepts: posthumanist approaches emphasize distributed or acquired agency, arguing that humans operate within networks of humans, machines, microbes, and material infrastructures. They challenge the idea of a fixed, bounded human subject and explore ethical and political implications for nonhuman others and relational networks. Methodologically, posthumanism often advocates interdisciplinary, multimodal analyses that foreground materiality and connectivity.

Variants and debates: critical posthumanism foregrounds critique of humanist assumptions; posthumanities emphasizes the material-discursive practices linking knowledge and existence. Debates focus on political aims, epistemology, and the risks of technocratic or dehumanizing tendencies. Some critics worry that the emphasis on decentering the human can neglect concerns about human vulnerability, rights, or social injustice.

Impact and reception: the field influences philosophy, literary and cultural studies, disability and animal studies, architecture, design, and science and technology studies. It remains debated and evolving as scholars integrate empirical research with normative scenarios.