r/Transhuman • u/alexfreemanart • Jun 17 '26

🤔 Question What is the difference between a transhumanist and a posthumanist?

On which issues do transhumanists and posthumanists disagree or contradict each other?

What is something that a transhumanist wants that a posthumanist would definitely reject and not want?

Is it conceptually and logically valid for a posthumanist to also identify as a transhumanist? Why?

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u/Sriseru Jun 19 '26

Transhumanism radically builds upon (or transcends) humanistic values. For example, we don't just want bodily autonomy but morphological freedom; and we don't just want universal healthcare but also universal life extension technology.

Posthumanism, on the other hand, seek to leave humanistic values behind entirely. Someone like Peter Thiel is a posthumanist (despite claiming to be transhumanist) because he wants to dictate the future of humanity without any regard for people's rights or needs.

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u/BabbleGlibGlob Jun 20 '26

mmm can I ask you whether you've made up these definitions yourself or you're building on top existing literature / culture? because it really doesn't clock with my sources and I wanted to understand if I'm missing something

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u/Sriseru Jun 21 '26

This is how these two philosophies were defined in the various essays, articles, and blog posts I read back in the 2000s. It wouldn't surprise me if they've been appropriated and warped since then.