The Posthuman offers both an introduction and major contribution to contemporary debates on the posthuman. Digital 'second life', genetically modified food, advanced prosthetics, robotics and reproductive technologies are familiar facets of our globally linked and technologically mediated societies. This has blurred the traditional distinction between the human and its others, exposing the non-naturalistic structure of the human. The Posthuman starts by exploring the extent to which a post-humanist move displaces the traditional humanistic unity of the subject. Rather than perceiving this situation as a loss of cognitive and moral self-mastery, Braidotti argues that the posthuman helps us make sense of our flexible and multiple identities. Braidotti then analyzes the escalating effects of post-anthropocentric thought, which encompass not only other species, but also the sustainability of our planet as a whole. Because contemporary market economies profit from the control and commodification of all that lives, they result in hybridization, erasing categorical distinctions between the human and other species, seeds, plants, animals and bacteria. These dislocations induced by globalized cultures and economies enable a critique of anthropocentrism, but how reliable are they as indicators of a sustainable future? The Posthuman concludes by considering the implications of these shifts for the institutional practice of the humanities. Braidotti outlines new forms of cosmopolitan neo-humanism that emerge from the spectrum of post-colonial and race studies, as well as gender analysis and environmentalism. The challenge of the posthuman condition consists in seizing the opportunities for new social bonding and community building, while pursuing sustainability and empowerment.

羅西•布拉伊多蒂（1954-），擁有意大利和奧地利雙重國籍，索邦大學哲學博士，當代哲學傢，女性主義理論傢，歐洲女性研究的先驅；1988年以來任荷蘭烏得勒支大學人文學院教授，籌建烏得勒支大學人文研究中心並擔任主任至今，後籌建荷蘭婦女研究院並擔任首任主任（1995-2005），為推動歐洲婦女問題研究，先後建立並擔任兩個歐洲大學校際網絡機構的主任（1994-2005，1997-2005）：歐洲婦女研究網絡，簡稱Noise，為歐盟蘇格拉底項目一部分；和歐洲婦女研究高級主題網絡，簡稱Athena。個人主要研究方嚮：西方哲學和後現代女性主義。