Being human as an option: How to rescue personal ontology from transhumanism, and (above all) why bother

This chapter starts from the idea that being human - in the historical sense of being part of a species, with common natural features shared by all members, and fixed and clear ontological boundaries vs. other entities - is soon going to become no more than an option among others, due to the growing hybridisation of human and non-human beings within an increasingly complex technological environment. Then the main thesis of the chapter is developed, which consists in a two-step argument. First, the claims and theories of various prominent authors for and against this post-humanizing trend are reviewed. The discussion is guided by the idea that the lack of a robust ontological frame represents the weak point of most critiques of trans- and post-humanism. Furthermore, I claim that a renewal of human self-understanding which gives up the idea of a distinctive personal ontology would fail to meet some of the most crucial challenges humanity must face in the new society of our times. In the ...