PR-Posthuamnism Theory Research

超体 Lucy

At the beginning of the movie the viewer watches a hominid drink water from a river, so Lucy asks the question: “Was life given to us billions of years ago and what did we do with it?”

The movie Lucy shows that science can turn human beings into beings whom my contemporaries would regard as gods, the viewer realizes that wealth and dominion over others are such primitive things that they should be rejected.

Transhumanism presents itself as the possibility of making the blind see, the deaf to hear and the handicapped to walk. Therefore, it is a movement that seeks to fulfill the unfulfilled promises of religion. Lucy takes transhumanism to its fullest extent than her own transformation into a posthuman being. Finally, she says, “Life was given to us billions of years ago. Now you know what to do with her.” Then seek knowledge and you will surely find eternal life, for in the end it is one such as the tree in the midst of Eden.

银翼杀手Blade Runner

Before considering the post-human condition, we ought to reflect upon what it means to be human. This is not a simple matter, however, and it has preoccupied philosophers’ thoughts for thousands of years. Protagoras is famous for claiming that “Man is the measure of all things.” Socrates half-heartedly defined humankind as “featherless bipeds.” When Plato pronounced Socrates’ definition of man in his Academy, he was highly praised for the insight. However, Diogenes the Cynic quickly plucked a chicken and, bringing it to the Academy, said, “This is Plato’s man.” After this incident the caveat “with broad flat nails” was added to Socrates’ definition.

Aristotle’s description of man is more serious. He proposes that humans are “communal animals.” As such, Aristotle emphasizes humanity’s social nature. During the Enlightenment period, Immanuel Kant posits, “Man is distinguished above all animals by his self-consciousness, by which he is a ‘rational animal.'” Here, Kant asserts humanity’s faculty of reason is our defining characteristic. In the 19th century, Karl Marx defined man as a “labouring animal.” Marx continues to categorize humanity as animals, like Aristotle and Kant, but he claims our distinguishing essence is the struggle within class structures. Furthermore, Christianity holds that humans are God’s creation and made in His image, while Charles Darwin argues that we have descended from millennia of evolution from amoebas. According to some of the strictest medical and legal criteria for humanity, people in vegetative states or those with severe mental illnesses may not qualify as humans whereas monkeys would. Effectively, the more vague the criteria for humanity, the more inclusive the group becomes. However, with more rigorous criteria the boundaries of humanity become more exclusive, to the extent that some people are not considered human. It is clear that what constitutes humanity is a matter of debate. Nevertheless, ideas such as those above help us contextualize the issue.

In this light, consider the post-human. Broadly speaking, post-humans are those who have somehow gone beyond being human, whether that is through evolution or augmentation. So, where can the distinction be drawn between humans and post-humans? People undergo organ transplants and cosmetic surgery all the time. Despite these modifications they remain human. A prosthetic leg is a mechanical replacement for a biological leg – it may look and function quite similar to an organic leg – yet these people remain human. Ponder this: is a blind woman’s cane an extension of her body? Are the cars we drive part of who we are? What about voice boxes? phones? computers? the Internet? Science fiction deals with cyborgs, humans with technological modifications, quite frequently. But, aren’t there people living today, all around us, who resemble such a description?

攻壳机动队Ghost in the Shell

著名科幻漫画《攻壳机动队》于2016年开拍了真人的同名电影，原著漫画除了具备让人印象极其深刻的电子朋克（Cyberpunk）和反乌托邦（Dystopia）色彩元素之外，其中的生化人（Cyborg）技术也直观地表现了“后人类主义”的可能性：人类的自然肉身退居次席，被可以更替改造的机械取而代之。

The famous sci-fi comic "Ghost in the Shell" started filming a live-action movie of the same name in 2016. In addition to the impressive color elements of Cyberpunk and Dystopia, the original comics include biochemical people ( Cyborg technology also intuitively expresses the possibility of "post-humanism": the natural body of human beings takes the second place and is replaced by machinery that can be replaced and transformed.

关于“后人类主义”的其他支脉，或许你听说过赛博格（Cyborg），其名称来源是控制论（Cybernetics）和有机体（Organism）的头三个字母，其中的控制论就是以研究人类、动物和机器内部的控制与通信的一般规律为导向。

“Kiss,or Dual Monitors”这个新媒体艺术装置作品显然意在引导我们去联想：人类是否终将被机器所取代？日新月异发展的科技产品及电子通讯设备带给我们的，是无限的希望，还是即将湮灭的未来？人类的情绪感受与通信设备之间的纽带又会是什么？

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Regarding other branches of "post-humanism", you may have heard of Cyborg (cyberg), whose name comes from the first three letters of Cybernetics and Organism. Cybernetics is to study humans. , Animals and machines are guided by the general laws of internal control and communication.

The new media art installation "Kiss, or Dual Monitors" is obviously intended to lead us to think: will humans be replaced by machines in the end? The rapid development of technological products and electronic communication equipment bring us unlimited hope, or a future that is about to die? What will be the link between human emotions and communication devices?

https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1663700