White and Black Posthumanism

Computer technology, pharmacology, genetics, and neurosciences promise people the possibility of making fundamental technical changes to themselves. According to post-humanist theory, from the modifications humans perform on the human organism a post-human being will result which is supposed to have a massively broader spectrum of bodily and cognitive capabilities compared to humans. On the other hand, some essentially human characteristics will be dispensable for the post-human. For example, it has been assumed that such beings would not even require consciousness, since conscious experience might be more of a hindrance to the smooth functionality of action that will be needed in the future. This would mean that an almost unimaginable transformation would occur, and the oft-anticipated end of man could become a reality in an unforeseen way. §This book considers the post-humanist scenario from the perspectives of philosophy, psychoanalysis, and cognitive science.