From Extinction to the Recreation of the Living World: the Creative Dimension of Fatigue in the Posthuman Project

Abstract

In this article, I will follow the posthuman vision to describe the contemporary era. As Rosi Braidotti illustrates, this moment is defined by a continuous balance between optimism and anxiety. Therefore, we are talking about a culture of fatigue that is more and more present today. On this subject, we find three fundamental forms: theory fatigue, post-work fatigue, and democracy fatigue. I will make a presentation of all these forms, proving that the current capitalist paradigm leads us to a series of crises. Whether we are talking about the health crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, an economic crisis, or an ecological crisis, the current situation is problematic. However, the position promoted by the posthuman project starts from these appearances and tries to develop an affirmative conception. As Braidotti illustrates, this aspect does not mean dismissing the crises in the world. On the contrary, we are talking about understanding the problematic aspects as an appeal for change. Therefore, in the model developed by Braidotti, we encounter a posthuman and post-anthropocentric turn that defines this model of thinking. Then, we observe an extension of the dimension of "us", which eliminates any forms of discrimination. Based on such premises, new disciplines are developed, illustrating the posthuman vision. Consequently, in the last part of the article, I will describe the posthuman project, to illustrate how these crises could be eliminated.