Philosophical Foundations of Metahumanism: A Critique of Projections of a Posthuman Future

Abstract

Despite its recent emergence, metahumanism is actively promoting ideas about a posthuman future alongside transhumanism and posthumanism. The purpose of this study was to conduct a critical analysis of the key conceptual ideas of metahumanism and identify the distinctive features of metahumanist projections of a posthuman future. The article traces the philosophical origins of metahumanism and its affinity with critical posthumanism. Metahumanism, based on the ideas of critical posthumanism, puts forward radical and extremely destructive anti-anthropocentric ideas that offer a blatant project of dehumanisation. Criticising humanity for its destructive attitude towards the environment and advocating for “planetary health”, metahumanist theorists call for a fundamental transformation of humans as a biological species. Refuting the ontological privilege of humanity, metahumanism promotes radical ideas of permanent mutation and symbiotic values and interprets humanity as an immanent part of the ecosystem, emphasising the equivalence and mutual influence of all forms of existence. Radicalising the relational ontology of postumanism, metahumanism consider man as locus of permanent amortphous mutations, postulates the need to acquire abilities to live in symbiosis with the non-human world, and places emphases on symbiotic developmental ethics. Based on the critical analysis of the metahumanist concepts of atrophied perception, a radical form of relational ontology and symbiotic values, the author proves the inconsistency and destructiveness of metahumanistic claims to create universal ethical values of a mutated state. Metahumanism goes beyond posthumanism, claiming to establish a set of universal “symbiotic” values that are based on respect for all forms of life and proposes a project for the destruction of humanity, whilst romanticising a hybrid mutating state.