One could describe evolution as a collection of positive traits succeeding and being passed on to later generations, ideally accumulating into the “perfect” version of that organism. This evolutionary perfection must be flexible though, because the environment an organism is evolving to assimilate into or conquer is always changing. What traits may be perfect at one time and place will most likely not be the most advantageous at other times and places. This opens up the question- can something be perfect and also open to change? The answer is that perfection is always subjective.

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Humanity posits itself as the creature closest to perfection. We have big brains and can use tools. Humanist thought centers humanity as the best, most perfect evolved creature. From this perspective, Posthumanism could be considered to be fixing the imperfections of the human in order to become the perfect human. With so many individuals on earth, what does the perfect human look like? Who decides? “The Human of Humanism is neither an ideal nor an objective statistical average or middle ground. It rather spells out a systematized standard of recognizability- of sameness- by which all others can be assessed, regulated, and allotted to a design and social location” 1 This rigid Eurocentric definition of perfection includes being white and a man. Achievable for some, but not most. Throughout history, minority groups have been othered and labeled sub-human through intense racial, sexual, and religious categorization.  

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All humans cannot be made perfect by following the same rubric toward an unattainable ideal. A more fruitful search for perfectibility lies in replacing the oppressive systems of the present instead of reproducing the same circumstances and hoping something different happens next time. Xenofeminism suggests kinmaking over baby making “as a means of prioritizing the generation of new kinds of support networks, instead of the unthinking replication of the same.” 2 In order to get a new result, something needs to change. New systems need to be made that serve the needs of all. It has to be willing and able to adjust when those needs inevitably change.