Exteriorization Theory: How Existential Deficiency Drives Technical Becoming: A Philosophical-Anthropological Meta-Theory

By STAR LI and Hong Li

AbstractThis monograph presents the Theory of Exteriorization, a philosophical-anthropological meta-theory that redefines the human condition through the lens of technological becoming. It posits a radical thesis: the human being is not primarily a rational or tool-making animal, but the exteriorizing animal-a being constitutively compelled by its existential deficiency to externalize its own functions into technical, symbolic, and institutional systems. The theory's first principle, the "triple deficiency" of biological incompleteness, cognitive finitude, and existential mortality, is established as the ultimate driver of this process. Exteriorization operates via a pharmacological dialectic, wherein each act is simultaneously a remedy for a prior deficiency and the genesis of a new one. This recursive logic structures a five-stage model of history-the emancipation of the body, power, cognition, emotion, and civilization-which illuminates the co-evolution of humanity and technology and the accelerating, asymmetrical dynamics of our age. The work systematically integrates insights from Western philosophy (from Marx to Stiegler) with critical dialogue from non-Western traditions, feminist theory, and contemporary critiques of platform capitalism. It culminates in a praxis-oriented framework, introducing the concept of re-internalization as the essential, dialectical counter-movement-a critical appropriation of exteriorized achievements to cultivate human autonomy. The final chapters articulate a new civilizational ethic, grounded in five pillars, to guide humanity through accelerating exteriorization and towards a responsible future.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H9XJR5KK
• ISBN13: 9798188458836
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"