Cary Wolfe, a prominent environmental philosopher, argues for a new method of thought that deconstructs our notion of the human and pushes forth the posthuman in his book What is Posthumanism?. It is a branch of cultural theory critical of the foundational assumptions of humanity and its legacy that examines and questions historical concepts of “humanism” and “human nature”. It challenges stereotypical notions of human subjectivity and is the embodiment of moving beyond the ancient concepts of “human nature” in which humans are superior. In this blog post, I argue that the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) in Qatar has a particular stance and approach to the topic of environmentalism that could be described as a sort of humanist posthumanism. This humanist posthumanism is best described in Wolfe’s From Dead Meat to Glow-in-the-Dark Bunnies.[1]
For Wolfe, Posthumanism challenges what it means to be a human and dethrones anthropocentricity. Wolfe wants to deconstruct this system of domination where the human is the rational being at the core of knowledge. Posthumanism is essential because it finds that privileging the human over all other beings and making them central to life is incomprehensible. The traditional boundaries between humans and non-human animals signify that humans rule the world; posthumanism alludes to a universe where these boundaries are blurred. The universe is instead filled with non-human subjects that are not reserved to the background of humanity. To connect this to Qatar’s case, the SC is educating the citizens of Qatar through awareness programs taught at schools that humans do not have the right to decimate the environment and what is left of our natural resources.[2] It leads the future generation of Qatari citizens to consider the issues the environment faces and provides technological solutions to overcome them. The SC attempts to address a posthumanist state without genuinely moving away from the centrality of humans; it takes on board a sort of humanist posthumanism approach.
Wolfe argues that humans need to find a mode of thought that will confront this idea of human domination because we need to rework our ethical attitudes by deconstructing this human-animal distinction and hierarchy. Yet, the prevailing attitude in Qatar is that humans are above animals however non-human animals and the environment are vital to our existence. The SC educates the people of a similar notion that humans are not allowed to deface the earth and harm the environment; it focuses on furthering our standard of living while being sustainable and maintaining our environment.[3] To see the environment in the foreground with humanity as opposed to the background of humanity. The SC attempts to minimize the scale of human pollution by raising awareness in a posthumanist way but still maintains a humanist element. The SC showcases human centrality by partnering with local organizations to educate the masses in order to leave behind a “Legacy”, one that reemphasizes human superiority without disregarding the environment’s pivotal role.[4] In a sense, the SC is keeping humans and the environment on the same pedestal. The SC states that they are trying to create a positive social change in Qatar that validates environmental crises and introduces modes of environmentalism that will aid in pushing forth an ecological agenda. The SC will share the stage with the environment with both humanity and the environment in the foreground.
Bibliography:
“Community Engagement.” See You In 2022. Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. Accessed November 13, 2020. https://www.qatar2022.qa/en/opportunities/community-engagement.
“Education & Research.” See You In 2022. Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.qatar2022.qa/en/opportunities/education-and-research.
Wolfe, Cary. “From Dead Meat to Glow-in-the-Dark Bunnies.” Essay. In What Is
Posthumanism?, 145–67. Minneapolis, MN: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2011.
Wolfe, Cary. What Is Posthumanism? Minneapolis, MN: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2011.
[1] Wolfe, Cary. “From Dead Meat to Glow-in-the-Dark Bunnies.” Essay. In What Is Posthumanism?, 145–67. Minneapolis, MN: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2011.
[2] “Community Engagement.” See You In 2022. Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. Accessed November 13, 2020. https://www.qatar2022.qa/en/opportunities/community-engagement.
[3] “Community Engagement.” See You In 2022. Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. Accessed November 13, 2020. https://www.qatar2022.qa/en/opportunities/community-engagement.
[4] “Education & Research.” See You In 2022. Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. Accessed November 17, 2020. https://www.qatar2022.qa/en/opportunities/education-and-research.
