Reconfiguring Human, Nonhuman and Posthuman in Literature and Culture

Reconfiguring Human, Nonhuman and Posthuman in Literature and Culture

Author: Sanna Karkulehto

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 9780367197476

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The time has come for human cultures to seriously think, to severely conceptualize, and to earnestly fabulate about all the nonhuman critters we share our world with, and to consider how to strive for more ethical cohabitation. Reconfiguring Human, Nonhuman and Posthuman in Literature and Culture tackles this severe matter within the framework of literary and cultural studies. The emphasis of the inquiry is on the various ways actual and fictional nonhumans are reconfigured in contemporary culture - although, as long as the domain of nonhumanity is carved in the negative space of humanity, addressing these issues will inevitably clamor for the reconfiguration of the human as well.


Reconfiguring Human, Nonhuman and Posthuman in Literature and Culture

Reconfiguring Human, Nonhuman and Posthuman in Literature and Culture

Author: Sanna Karkulehto

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-07-10

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 0429516193

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The time has come for human cultures to seriously think, to severely conceptualize, and to earnestly fabulate about all the nonhuman critters we share our world with, and to consider how to strive for more ethical cohabitation. Reconfiguring Human, Nonhuman and Posthuman in Literature and Culture tackles this severe matter within the framework of literary and cultural studies. The emphasis of the inquiry is on the various ways actual and fictional nonhumans are reconfigured in contemporary culture – although, as long as the domain of nonhumanity is carved in the negative space of humanity, addressing these issues will inevitably clamor for the reconfiguration of the human as well. The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/reconfiguring-human-nonhuman-posthuman-literature-culture-sanna-karkulehto-aino-kaisa-koistinen-essi-varis/e/10.4324/9780429243042, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.


Transhumanism and Posthumanism in Twenty-First Century Narrative

Transhumanism and Posthumanism in Twenty-First Century Narrative

Author: Sonia Baelo-Allué

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-05-05

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 1000374017

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Transhumanism and Posthumanism in Twenty-First Century Narrative brings together fifteen scholars from five different countries to explore the different ways in which the posthuman has been addressed in contemporary culture and more specifically in key narratives, written in the second decade of the 21st century, by Dave Eggers, William Gibson, John Shirley, Tom McCarthy, Jeff Vandermeer, Don DeLillo, Margaret Atwood, Cixin Liu and Helen Marshall. Some of these works engage in the premises and perils of transhumanism, while others explore the qualities of the (post)human in a variety of dystopian futures marked by the planetary influence of human action. From a critical posthumanist perspective that questions anthropocentrism, human exceptionalism and the centrality of the ‘human’ subject in the era of the Anthropocene, the scholars in this collection analyse the aesthetic choices these authors make to depict the posthuman and its aftereffects.


Representing (Post)Human Enhancement Technologies in Twenty-First Century US Fiction

Representing (Post)Human Enhancement Technologies in Twenty-First Century US Fiction

Author: Carmen Laguarta-Bueno

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-10-07

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 1000655334

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This work studies three twenty-first century novels by Richard Powers, Dave Eggers and Don DeLillo as representative of a new trend of US fiction concerned with the topic of the technological augmentation of the human condition. The different chapters provide, from the double perspective of the optimistic transhumanist philosophy and the more balanced approach of critical posthumanism, an overview of the narrative strategies used by the writers to explore the possibilities that biotechnology, digital technologies and cryonics open up to transcend our human limitations, while also warning their readers of their most nefarious consequences. Ultimately, the book puts forward the claim that even if the writers approach the subject from a variety of perspectives and using different narrative styles and techniques, they all share a critical posthumanist fear that an unrestrained and unquestioned use of technology for enhancement purposes may bring about disembodiment and dehumanization.


Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Planetary Well-Being

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Planetary Well-Being

Author: Merja Elo

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-06-26

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 1000928888

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book proposes a paradigm shift in how human and nonhuman well-being are perceived and approached. In response to years of accelerated decline in the health of ecosystems and their inhabitants, this edited collection presents planetary well-being as a new cross-disciplinary concept to foster global transformation towards a more equal and inclusive framing of well-being. Throughout this edited volume, researchers across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences apply and reflect on the concept of planetary well-being, showcasing its value as an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral changemaker. The book explores the significance of planetary well-being as a theoretical and empirical concept in sustainability science and applies it to discipline-specific cases, including business, education, psychology, culture, and development. Interdisciplinary perspectives on topical global questions and processes underpin each chapter, from soil processes and ecosystem health to global inequalities and cultural transformation, in the framework of planetary well-being. The book will appeal to academics, researchers, and students in a broad range of disciplines including sustainability science, sustainable development, natural resources, and environmental humanities. Calling readers to assess, challenge, and rethink the dominant perceptions of well-being and societal activities, this rich resource that explores the interconnection between human and nonhuman well-being serves as a tool to foster transformative action towards a more sustainable society. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.


The Posthuman Imagination

The Posthuman Imagination

Author: Tanmoy Kundu

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2021-02-08

Total Pages: 205

ISBN-13: 1527565939

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume, including an extended interview with noted philosopher of posthumanism Francesca Ferrando, explores the contemporary philosophical, literary and cultural landscapes that have emerged as a response to the unavoidable crisis faced by humans in the Anthropocene era. The essays gathered here map posthumanism both as theoretical posthumanism, which primarily seeks to develop new knowledge, and as practical posthumanism, which emphasizes socio-political, economic, and technological changes. Posthumanism, which explores how one can address the question of what means to be human today, is a burgeoning area of interest among universities across the globe. Written in accessible, yet scholarly, language, this volume introduces posthumanism in its diverse ramifications and explicates the subject through various literary and filmic texts in order to cater to the needs of researchers and students in the humanities.


Universes Without Us

Universes Without Us

Author: Matthew A. Taylor

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 9780816680603

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

As Matthew A. Taylor's incisive readings reveal, the heterodox cosmologies of Edgar Allan Poe, Henry Adams, Charles Chesnutt, and Zora Neale Hurston reject the anthropocentric fantasy that sees the universe as a kind of reservoir of self-realization. Taylor shows how posthumanist theory can illuminate American literary texts and how those texts might, in turn, prompt a reassessment of posthumanist theory.


Law, Human Creativity and Generative Artificial Intelligence

Law, Human Creativity and Generative Artificial Intelligence

Author: Julija Kalpokienė

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2024-06-12

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13: 1040113486

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book addresses the complex issue of human creativity in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used to create texts, images, and musical compositions. This increase in the application of AI within the creative industries can of course enhance human performance while producing creative and commercial challenges for human authors. Against this background, this book considers how current mechanisms for incentivising creativity – including legal regulations, such as copyright, state funding and tax regimes – are inadequate in the age of AI. Acknowledging the opportunity that AI presents, the book then proposes alternative regulatory mechanisms through which human creativity can be incentivised. This book will appeal to scholars and researchers in the areas of socio-legal studies, intellectual property law, media law, and law and technology.