A Tragic Humanity: Individuation, Transvaluation, and Transhumanism

This chapter is a contribution to debates on Nietzsche and transhumanism, two extreme poles of which are represented by Stefan Sorgner and Bernard Stiegler. For Sorgner, transhumanism can be understood as largely consistent with Nietzsche’s call for the Übermensch. For Stiegler, transhumanism represents the most extreme manifestation of nihilism. This chapter develops a position which cuts between these extremes by outining a distinct Nietzschean conception of transhumanism. It does this by developing Stiegler’s own philosophy concerning the role of technologies in human individuation. It argues that a Nietzschean transhumanist project should be aimed at a tragic humanity in the specific sense of being animated by aesthetic play; it should be guided by artistic values and take place in a spirit of experimentation. Beyond a mere matter of ‘taste,’ the success of such experiments may be judged on how well they contribute to healthy individuation and affirmative forms of life.