# Humanism #### "Reason, Learning, Growth." #### tl;dr - Humanism places humans at the center of the intellectual universe, emphasizing reason, autonomy, and individual potential, rejecting medieval scholasticism's focus on divine authority. - Emerged during the European Renaissance. #### Elaboration - Emphasized individual agency, self-expression, and secularism, a radical shift from the collective mindset of feudalism and medieval Christianity. - Championed the idea that rationality and empirical evidence could lead to progress, laying groundwork for the Scientific Revolution. - The term _humanism_ was applied retrospectively by scholars in the 19th century. However, humanist ideas and practices were self-consciously developed during the Renaissance. - Renaissance thinkers referred to their studies as _studia humanitatis_ (studies of humanity). #### Legacy - **Education**: The **liberal arts tradition** originates from humanist curricula. - **Secularism**: Humanism helped decouple science and philosophy from theology. - **Individualism**: The Renaissance humanist emphasis on personal achievement influenced the Enlightenment and modern notions of rights and autonomy. #### Significant Contributors - **Francesco Petrarch (1304–1374)** The “Father of Humanism.” Revived classical ideas, emphasized individual intellectual and moral growth, laying the groundwork for the Renaissance. - **Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536)** Advocated for the study of the humanities to reform religion and society; wrote _In Praise of Folly_. #### Criticisms • **Eurocentrism**: Humanism focused narrowly on Greco-Roman heritage, marginalizing non-European cultures. • **Anthropocentrism**: Humanism’s exaltation of humans as the “measure of all things” has been critiqued by posthumanists for ignoring interconnections with non-human life and systems. #### Intellectual Connections - Both **posthumanism** and **transhumanism** later emerge as critiques or extensions of humanism. # Transhumanism #### "Transcending biology with technology." - Feminists and posthumanists critique transhumanism’s focus on individual enhancement, advocating for ecological and social justice. # Posthumanism (1970s-1980s) #### "Networks, not individuals." - Emerged as a critique of humanism. Perhaps the name is unfortunate, but the "post" does not indicate a sequencing in an epochal sense. Rather, posthumanism is challenging the very idea of humanism itself. Fundamental to posthumanism is that _human exceptionalism_ (i.e. anthropocentrism), the idea that we are unique and special, is a conceit, an artificial distinction. - Nietzsche (1844-1900) is the first proto-posthumanist (excepting perhaps Spinoza). - The Übermensch challenges humanist ideals and envisions humans transcending current limitations. (Posthumanists: _will to power_ isn't unique to humans, but a feature of life itself.) - Critiques Enlightenment rationality and the centrality of "man." - Focuses on power dynamics and the fluidity of identity. - Key difference: focuses on individual transcendence and human agency, rather than the decentering of humans within larger systems. - Deleuze (1925-1995) is a more contemporary philosophical precursor to humanism. - Critiques the humanist subject as stable, autonomous subject. (Critiquing posthumanism.) - Assemblages: dynamic networks of humans, non-humans, and system, where no single element dominates. (Inspires posthumanist relational thinking.) - Proposes _becoming_ as a process of continuous transformation, rejecting fixed identities. e.g., becoming-animal, becoming-machine. (Parallels posthumanist fluid, hybrid identities.) - Key difference: doesn't directly address modern technological contexts like AI or cyborgs. #### tl;dr - Posthumanism critiques humanism’s anthropocentrism, binary thinking (e.g., human/animal, natural/artificial), and emphasis on human exceptionalism. It challenges the idea that humans are autonomous, self-contained agents distinct from their environments, technologies, and other species. #### Core Themes - Decentering the human in favor of interspecies, intersystemic relationships. - Exploring the ethical, ecological, and cultural implications of emerging technologies (but not focusing on enhancing humans). #### Philosophical Foundations - Draws from poststructuralism (Derrida, Foucault), feminist theory (Haraway, Braidotti), and ecological thinking. - Focuses on relationality, assemblages, and networks rather than individualism. --- # Cyborg Feminism - Cyborg Feminism, while influential, remains a source of inspiration rather than the basis for a formalized movement. The cyborg... - **embodies hybridity and interconnectedness**, symbolizing a way to rethink politics and identities in a world shaped by technology. - **rejects essentialist identity** of a "pure" or "natural" woman. - **represents boundary-crossing**, embracing the fluidity of identities shaped by technology, culture, and biology. #### Influence on Feminist Theory - **New Materialism**: the main idea is to erase the dichotomy between the cultural and the natural. - **Affect Theory** - **Queer Theory** --- # Donna Haraway - Originated the cyborg as a feminist figure, using it to critique essentialist notions of genders and the boundaries that define identity. - Haraway's work has inspired theorists in feminist technology studies, queer theory, and new materialism. [User kage-e in r/AskFeminists:](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskFeminists/comments/8bo7zn/comment/dx8glyp/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) >In contemporary feminist theory, science and technology studies and general critical theory Donna Haraway is very well received at the moment. She is seen as one of the central figures of **New Materialism**... > >In popular discourse Haraway's cyborg manifesto is however **frequently misunderstood**. Her **central thesis is that the divide between nature and technology is an arbitrary divide.** She argues for the cyborg as a feminist image that overcomes this divide. > >She very much recognizes gender as an important category in contemporary society. Rather, l'd say that she argues that **the distinction between gender essentialism and gender constructionism is flawed**, because it is based in that nature/technology divide. > >Overall she does not argue for transhumanism so much as she argues that we are already transhuman. Or maybe that there can be no such thing as transhuman. --- # [Posthumanism Explained - Nietzsche, Deleuze, Stiegler, Haraway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmJLsfUnGjY) - Donna Haraway claims that humans are already cyborgs. There's never been a human that was distinct from the non-human world, particularly tools and machines. --- # Timeline of Humanism, Posthumanism, Transhumanism, and related Feminist Thought #### 15th–17th Century: The Rise of Humanism Renaissance humanism focuses on human reason, autonomy, and potential. #### 18th Century: Enlightenment Science and reason are tools for human progress. - **Mary Wollstonecraft** (_A Vindication of the Rights of Woman_, 1792): Advocates for women’s equality through reason and education. #### 19th Century: Challenges to Human-Centered Thinking and Early Feminist Movements - Charles Darwin (Origin of Species, 1859): Decenters humans in natural history. - **Karl Marx**: Humans shaped by social and economic systems. - **Friedrich Nietzsche** (_Übermensch_): Prefigures the idea of transcending human limits. #### Mid-20th Century: Theoretical Foundations - Martin Heidegger (The Question Concerning Technology, 1954): Critiques human control over technology. - **Simone de Beauvoir** (_The Second Sex_, 1949): Feminist existentialism—“one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” Critiques fixed identity categories. - **Julian Huxley** coins “transhumanism” (1957), envisioning science as a tool for transcending human limits. - Cybernetics (Norbert Wiener) and AI research influence ideas of human enhancement. #### 1980s–1990s: Posthumanism, and Transhumanism Emerge - **Donna Haraway** (_A Cyborg Manifesto_, 1985): Introduces the cyborg as a metaphor for hybrid identities, challenging gender binaries and essentialism. - **Hans Moravec**: Advocates for mind-uploading and machine consciousness. - **Ray Kurzweil** (_The Age of Intelligent Machines_, 1990): Explores technological singularity. - **Judith Butler** (_Gender Trouble_, 1990): Introduces gender performativity, arguing that gender is constructed through repeated actions rather than biologically determined. - Butler critiques the techno-utopianism of transhumanism. #### 2000s–Present: Expansion and Convergence - **Rosi Braidotti** (_The Posthuman_, 2013): Advocates for ethical relations with non-humans and critiques technocratic progress narratives. - Ecological feminism grows, emphasizing interconnectedness with nature. - **Nick Bostrom** (_Superintelligence_, 2014): Explores risks of AI and human enhancement. - Continued advancements in biotechnology, AI, and genetic editing spark debates. - Feminists critique AI bias and biohacking, highlighting how technological advancements can reinforce inequalities.