White and Black Posthumanism After Consciousness and the Unconscious

At present, the posthuman is normally understood as a being which will arise out of man by means of drastic physical or just functional modifications and which due to these changes will seem no longer to be justifiably termed human (see chapters 1 and 2. ). It is generally assumed that the alterations required for this will, (1) not occur naturally but rather by human interven tion using newly acquired technology, or at least by human in fluence and (2. ) result in an entitythat will not only be different, but capable ofgreater efficiency and sentience and thus 'better' than present human beings. In addition one may suppose that the posthumans will then replace humans as the dominant life form on our planet. Although such a definition of posthumanity is not beyond dispute, I will nevertheless for simplicity's sake, take it as astartingpointbecause it is this definitionwhich domi natesthe currentdiscussion on posthumanity. ' Posthumanisticthoughtlikesto fallback on evolutionarymodels. Is the posthuman not simply man's next developmental stage? We assume nowadays that man as an organism is the product of biological evolution. We have also learnt that evolution shapes not only individual organisms but likewise their cognitive abili ties in the interaction with their environment, especially with Itwould also be possible to discuss a posthumanityarising from natural evo lution, a process thatwould be correspondinglyslower. Or alternatively, one coulddefine theposthuman targetcharacteristics differently, i. e. notbigger, morebeautifulandstrongerthanman (seechapter 2.