ABSTRACT: This essay examines the convergence between de-extin-ction science and transhumanist philosophy, arguing that the technologies and ideologies driving the revival of extinct species are increasingly aligned with transhumanist aspirations to overcome mortality. While de-extinction is often framed in terms of ecological restoration and conservation, the essay contends that it is also imbricated within a broader biotechnological project aimed at life extension, species enhancement, and the indefinite postponement of death. Drawing on critical theory, science studies, and existential philosophy, the essay interrogates the ontological and ethical status of de-extinct animals as entities situated between conservation and invention, between mortal and postmortal existence. It questions whether postmortality entails the loss of essential values tied to finitude and care, and highlights the unresolved tensions between transhumanist ambitions and ecological ethics.
Joshua Schuster (Thu,) studied this question.