In February 2023, my article “Pour un être nouveau inspiré par le passé” (For a New Being Inspired by the Past) was published in Les récits du posthumain (Narratives of the Posthuman), edited by Mara Magda Mafei and Dominique Viart at Presses Universitaires Septentrion. This work examines how posthumanism, while projecting a future of augmentation and surpassing biological limits, draws on narratives and references from the past to shape its imagination.
Reference of the conference proceedings:
“Pour un être nouveau inspiré par le passé,” in Les récits du posthumain (Narratives of the Posthuman), under the direction of Mara Magda Mafei and Dominique Viart, Presses Universitaires Septentrion.
Posthumanism: Between Innovation and Heritage
While posthumanism looks towards technological advancements—smart prostheses, brain implants, genetic therapies—it does not emerge from nothing. My article explores how posthuman narratives are embedded in historical and philosophical continuity, engaging with ancient figures of transformation: ancient myths, modern utopias, and artistic and literary experiences of the twentieth century.
A Memory of the Augmented Body
The idea of a “new man” is not purely a creation of contemporary transhumanism. Art history, philosophy, and literature have continually questioned the transformation of body and mind. From classical sculptures idealizing human perfection to contemporary artworks depicting augmented bodies, the tension between past and future shapes the representations of the posthuman.
An Interdisciplinary Work Under the Auspices of UNESCO
This work is part of a collective reflection involving philosophers, anthropologists, jurists, specialists in the arts, and digital sciences. Under the auspices of UNESCO, Les récits du posthumain (Narratives of the Posthuman) questions the social, ethical, and philosophical implications of the rising power of technologies that modify the human body.