Shannon Vallor Urges New Humanism for the 21st Century as Anti-Humanism Fuels Transhumanism
Updated
Updated · Vox.com · May 17
Shannon Vallor Urges New Humanism for the 21st Century as Anti-Humanism Fuels Transhumanism
1 articles · Updated · Vox.com · May 17
University of Edinburgh philosopher Shannon Vallor argues a "new humanism" is needed for the 21st century, rejecting both misanthropy and utopian transhumanism in a newly published interview.
Vallor says digital technology and social media have deepened fragmentation, loneliness and distrust, helping normalize anti-humanism as an "enlightened" stance rather than a symptom of social breakdown.
Classical humanism, she argues, is too flawed and static for the current moment because its Enlightenment model was gendered, racialized and overly focused on the self-sufficient rational individual.
Her alternative vision embraces human change and even the possibility of other minds, but centers sustainability, care, solidarity and repairing social systems instead of promises of AI-driven transcendence or immortality.
The interview casts transhumanism as a modern version of "pie in the sky" politics, warning that tech companies and authoritarian-leaning elites can use futuristic narratives to distract from urgent present needs.
After the great AI hype crash of 2025, how do we build a better human future?
Is transhumanism a dangerous fantasy, or our only hope for escaping extinction?
Human Flourishing in an AI World: Shannon Vallor’s Blueprint for a New Humanism (2024–2026)
Overview
As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves and becomes deeply integrated into society by 2026, philosopher Shannon Vallor emerges as a leading voice calling for a 'new humanism.' Her work, especially The AI Mirror, urges society to re-examine and reaffirm human values and agency in the face of technological change. Vallor directly challenges problematic ideologies like anti-humanism, which devalues human worth, and transhumanism, which seeks to transcend the human condition. By advocating for a new humanism, she emphasizes the importance of maintaining human dignity and ethical responsibility as technology continues to shape our future.