higherage

Higherage is a term used in speculative discourse to denote a potential future epoch in which humanity surpasses current biological and social constraints through technology and new forms of life organization. It is not a fixed era and may be used to describe scenarios ranging from radical lifespan extension to postbiological existence.

The etymology combines "higher" with "age," signaling an age distinguished by elevated capabilities or quality of life. The concept intersects with transhumanism, posthumanism, and futurism, and appears in discussions about long-term societal trajectories and civilizational transitions rather than in established historical chronologies.

Proponents associate the higherage with advances in genetics, biotechnology, AI, neurotechnology, mind uploading, energy abundance, and space settlement that collectively remove biological limits on cognition, intelligence, and longevity. In such a frame, social institutions, economy, and governance would reorganize around augmented or non-biological forms of life, potentially altering education, labor, and rights.

Critics caution that the higherage risks accelerating inequality if access to transformative technologies is unequal, and may raise questions about identity, personhood, and consent. Others warn of speculative risks, including dependency on fragile techno-social systems and the challenge of preserving meaning in a post-biological condition.

There is no single agreed definition, and the term is used variably across sources. As a forward-looking concept, higherage serves as a heuristic for exploring futures in which technology redefines human potential, rather than as a settled historical period.