SEMINAR PAPER
TRANSHUMANISM AND ONE HEALTH
A CLOSER COOPERATION
This seminar paper was prepared for the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH). It is one of the outcomes of the Transhumanismus Kolloquium, in German, Spring 2023, at the University of Basel, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Reinhold Bernhardt, Prof. Dr. Jakob Zinsstag, and Dr. Andrea Kaiser-Grolimund.
University of Basel, Urban Studies, MA Critical Urbanisms
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
A LOOK AT THE INTERSECTION OF CITY AND HEALTH WITHIN THE SCOPE OF ONE HEALTH AND TRANSHUMANISM
City and health are concepts that are directly related to each other. Rapid and unplanned urbanization not only directly affects human health but also endangers the lives of humans, animals, and the entire ecosystem due to the destruction it causes in nature. This is a topic that urban studies have, for some reason, not focused on much, but perhaps with COVID-19, we have felt and experienced the vital bond between the city and health once again. Cities are highly conducive to the spread of epidemics, and modern urban planning is partly responsible for this.
When examining cities and their development, and trying to link this with health, we must also consider the social, cultural, political, technological, and economic integrity and conditions of societies. This is precisely where this study, prepared in the context of One Health and Transhumanism, comes into play. While One Health aims to establish unity between humans, animals, and the environment in the name of health, transhumanism offers a broader perspective on humanity’s progress, focusing on the future relationship between humans, non-humans, and the environment. In urban studies, we often establish these future relationships but, for some reason, tend to overlook the issue of health. In reality, life can only progress as long as health is maintained.
While technology has many negative effects on health, it also has positive effects—this is true for cities as well. While cities offer unlimited opportunities for humans in many ways, they also create environments full of health hazards. These are all important issues to explore in the context of urban studies. This also brings to the forefront the distinction between rural areas and cities, and today we may be concerned that this distinction is disappearing. The human population is increasing, cities are expanding, and all this progress creates consequences that dominate nature and, in turn, endanger human, animal, and environmental health.
We are transhumans; we have already transcended being mere humans with our superhuman skills, especially those adapted to urban life, and the tools, devices, and machines we use. But what about our health? Amidst all this development, most of us fail to realize that our health is sacrificed for urban life. This is the essence of the work being done on behalf of One Health and Transhumanism, and it should become a new focus within urban studies.
MODERN CITY AND HEALTH
Andrea Bagnato touches upon this issue in the context of modernity and health in his article titled Microscopic Colonialism (2017):
“For much of their history, European cities have been unhealthy places. Until the end of the nineteenth century, they were plagued by waves of infection that thrived in the close proximity of people and livestock.
This may seem like a distant past now that 'health' is understood in opposition to aging or to non-communicable diseases, such as cancer. Yet, not only do infectious diseases remain a major cause of death outside Western countries, but scientists also agree that the number of epidemic events around the world has actually been increasing. It is widely accepted within biomedical science that there is a strong connection between emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and the material footprint of capitalist processes of extraction and accumulation: mining, logging, and intensive agriculture fragment wild habitats, increasing the risk of human exposure to pathogens in wildlife.
In spite of such evidence, infectious diseases are conspicuously absent from architectural discourse on urbanization. This arguably stems from a narrow understanding of the 'urban,' which is still limited to the scale of the Western city. As Rem Koolhaas and others have argued, our focus on urban cores has made us blind to the human-driven changes that are taking place outside of them—whether in the countryside or in tropical rainforests.
Contrary to non-communicable diseases, epidemics are a direct function of urbanization: viruses, bacteria, and parasites can propagate only where enough people live in close proximity to one another. The size, density, and distribution of human settlements are crucial in determining how an epidemic spreads. This is why epidemics can only develop in settled societies—nomadic or semi-nomadic communities are generally too small and far apart for pathogens to spread effectively.
There is a close correspondence between the history of infectious diseases and the history of modern cities. In the nineteenth century, industrialization and globalization were paralleled by the onset of cholera and the intensification of tuberculosis. The fear of cholera in Europe and North America led to the reorganization of cities as a means of controlling individual health. Cholera epidemics continued, and it was only in the 1890s—with the discovery of bacteria and viruses—that public health became a matter of state intervention, and centralized planning became a political necessity. The provision of clean drinking water and subsidized housing were then recognized as universal goals, as were new medical protocols for immunization and disinfection. The concern with hygiene transformed urban planning long before it influenced architecture; only at the turn of the twentieth century did architects begin to internalize sanitary prescriptions. Modernism was founded on the promise of hygienic, urban, and social order.”
MULTIDIMENSIONAL IMPACTS OF URBANISM ON ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN HEALTH
Agricultural Practices
To understand the problematic relationship between health and the city, we need to confront the conflict between modernism and traditionalism. In many developing countries, especially in the Global South, the modernization of agricultural areas is often overlooked during the urbanization process. This failure to modernize agricultural practices reduces soil fertility and causes erosion. In this context, resistance to modernization harms agricultural lands, water resources, and pasturelands, all of which are closely tied to the health of humans, livestock, animals, and wildlife. To reduce diseases, modern techniques must be harmoniously integrated into the interactions between humans, animals, nature, and cities.
Eco-violence
During urban development, it is crucial to avoid damaging biophysical environments (Unrus, 1995). Today, in the Global South, many nomadic pastoralists work, live, and reproduce in environments challenged by deforestation, declining water resources, and unpredictable weather and climate patterns. Additionally, increasing population dynamics lead to infrastructure deficiencies caused by rapid urbanization—this should be a key concern for urban studies. Pastoral production is deeply dependent on the environment, which determines the quality of the pastoral transhumance process and animal welfare. The continued use of these areas for urbanization plays a decisive role in the health of both humans and animals.
Connectedness
Urban planners should address the paradox of disconnected systems by adopting a whole-of-society approach, advocating for health to be represented in policies developed across all sectors of government and civil society. The temporal and spatial dynamics of any system depend on the properties of its constituent parts and the nature of the interactions between them, which are vital for human and animal health in urban societies. Collective responsibility is essential in addressing social, environmental, and medical determinants in the provision of services like water, sanitation, and vaccines for both animals and humans.
Planetary Health
One Health supports social justice, economic prosperity, and environmental protection in developing urban areas. In these societies, where the interaction between humans and animals is intense, One Health can be expanded to include the social and ecological consequences in parallel, while considering the Sustainable Development Goals. Recognizing that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and ecosystems is closely linked and interdependent, One Health improves disease management by bringing together medical, veterinary, and environmental scientists for social and environmental sustainability. Therefore, the concept of One Health should be integrated into urban studies.
ONE HEALTH TRANSHUMANISM
INTEGRATING THE ASPECTS OF ONE HEALTH INTO THE VISION OF TRANSHUMANISM IN RELATION TO MORE TECHNOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS
This paper aims to explore the potential relationships between aspects of One Health and the transhumanist movement in the technological context, based on the scientific, social, and philosophical dimensions of this relationship. While this analysis may expand the holistic health concept of One Health, it ultimately seeks to observe the evolution of humankind in the context of our interactions with all kinds of beings—human or non-human, living or non-living—within the dynamics of Transhumanism.
Transhumanism is one of the most significant movements of recent years, with profound social, scientific, and philosophical implications that have sparked extensive debate. However, by examining it from various perspectives, it becomes clear that we are already transhumans, inherently programmed to transcend ourselves through the posthuman characteristics enabled by rapidly advancing technology. So, how will this development, and the unpredictable progress of technology, impact humanity, non-human entities, and ecology in terms of global health? In the future, One Health and Transhumanism may need to share common denominators and be forced to reshape the concept of health.
ONE HEALTH
A HARMONIC DEVELOPMENT OF PLANETARY GLOBAL HEALTH
Humans and animals are inextricably linked to ecological systems—both natural and human-made—which are often referred to as cultural and social systems. One Health is an approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human health, animal health, and the health of our shared environment. It highlights the interface between humans, animals, and the environment, a complex relationship that requires systemic approaches to both the physical and social aspects of the environment.
One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach, operating at the local, regional, national, and global levels. Its goal is to achieve optimal health outcomes by acknowledging the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. One Health is an integrated and unifying approach, aimed at sustainably balancing and optimizing the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.
One Health acknowledges that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the broader environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent. While topics such as health, food, water, energy, and the environment often have sector-specific concerns, collaboration across sectors and disciplines is essential to protect health, address challenges like the emergence of infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and food safety, and promote the health and integrity of our ecosystems.
ONE HEALTH
KEY FACTS
. The health of humans, animals, and ecosystems is closely interconnected. Changes in these relationships can increase the risk of new diseases emerging and spreading among both humans and animals.
. The strong connections between human, animal, and environmental health require close collaboration, communication, and coordination between the relevant sectors.
. One Health is an approach that aims to optimize the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems by integrating these fields, rather than keeping them separate.
. Approximately 60% of emerging infectious diseases reported globally originate from animals, both wild and domestic. Over the past three decades, more than 30 new human pathogens have been detected, 75% of which originated in animals.
. Human activities and stressed ecosystems have created new opportunities for diseases to emerge and spread.
. These stressors include animal trade, agriculture, livestock farming, urbanization, extractive industries, climate change, habitat fragmentation, and encroachment into wild areas.
One Health emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration across various academic disciplines, primarily focusing on human and veterinary medicine, but with strong links to the natural and social sciences, as well as the humanities.
TRANSHUMANISM
THE ANTI-HUMAN CHARACTER OF TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION
Transhumanism is a philosophical and scientific movement that advocates for the use of current and emerging technologies, such as genetic engineering, cryonics, artificial intelligence (AI), and nanotechnology, to enhance human capabilities and improve the human condition. Transhumanists envision a future where the responsible application of these technologies enables humans to slow, reverse, or eliminate the aging process, extend human life spans, and enhance cognitive and sensory capacities. The movement suggests that humans with augmented capabilities will evolve into an enhanced species that transcends humanity, referred to as the "posthuman."
"We advocate the well-being of all sentient beings, including humans, non-human animals, and any future artificial intellects, modified life forms, or other intelligences to which technological and scientific advances may give rise. We favor allowing individuals wide personal choice over how they live their lives.” — Transhumanist Declaration
TRANSHUMANISM
HISTORY, ETHICS, AND PHILOSOPHY
The term Transhumanism was popularized by the English biologist and philosopher Julian Huxley in his 1957 essay of the same name. Huxley argued that social institutions could now supplant human evolution to refine and improve the human species. In the 1980s, newly formed transhumanist organizations and schools of thought began advocating for human life extension, cryonics, space colonization, and futurism.
In 1986, the American engineer K. Eric Drexler published Engines of Creation, an exploration of the future applications of nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing. During the same period, the American conceptual artist Natasha Vita-More published an evolving manifesto on Transhumanism and the Transhumanist Arts Statement, which called for "designing" a future that merged aesthetics with science and technology to enhance sensory experiences and improve and extend human life.
In the 1990s, "extropianism," a libertarian doctrine advocating the use of technology to overcome human limitations, rose to prominence within the transhumanist movement. In 1998, the Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom and the British philosopher David Pearce founded the World Transhumanist Association (WTA), which promoted Transhumanism as a serious academic discipline.
As transhumanist ideas evolved from theory to practice in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, ethical concerns began to play a central role in transhumanist philosophy. Scientific breakthroughs—including stem cell therapies, in vitro fertilization, brain chips, animal cloning, exoskeletons, artificial intelligence, and genomics—shifted the dialogue between Transhumanism’s proponents and critics from a focus on the future to one on the present.
TRANSHUMANISM
TOWARDS TRANSSPEICES IN TECHNOCRATIC SOCIETIES
The aims of the transhumanist movement are succinctly summarized by Mark O’Connell in his book To Be a Machine: “It is their belief that we can and should eradicate aging as a cause of death; that we can and should use technology to augment our bodies and our minds; that we can and should merge with machines, remaking ourselves, finally, in the image of our own higher ideals.”
The idea of technologically enhancing our bodies is not new, but the extent to which transhumanists take the concept is transformative. In the past, we created devices such as wooden legs, hearing aids, spectacles, and false teeth. In the future, we might use implants to augment our senses, enabling us to detect infrared or ultraviolet radiation directly, or boost our cognitive processes by connecting ourselves to memory chips. Ultimately, by merging humans and machines, science could produce beings with vastly increased intelligence, strength, and lifespans—a near embodiment of gods.
Is this a desirable goal? Advocates of Transhumanism argue that there are spectacular rewards to be gained by transcending the natural barriers and limitations of ordinary human existence. However, achieving this raises a host of ethical questions and dilemmas. As O’Connell’s book suggests, the ambitions of Transhumanism are ascending to the forefront of intellectual discourse. But this is a debate that is only just beginning.
“We are now approaching the time when, for some kinds of track sports, such as the 100-meter sprint, athletes who run on carbon-fiber blades will be able to outperform those who run on natural legs,” says Blay Whitby of Sussex University.
TRANSHUMANISM
TECHNOLOGICAL MENTALITY & TECHNOLOGICAL FORMS OF LIFE
David Vintiner, a British photographer, has spent the past two years documenting the transhumanist subculture. He categorizes his photographs of transhumanists, some of which are reproduced here, into three groups: those working to extend life, those experimenting with implants as body art, and those seeking to make permanent changes to the human condition. One particular image captures the ironies on display in Austin, Texas: the curious union between scientific innovators and garage-tinkering dreamers.
“They shared knowledge of the newly understood plasticity of the brain and a utopian idea of technology and were pushing that understanding in novel, homemade directions. They were, at least, the most convincing hints that this introverted subculture, which styles itself as transhuman, was sometimes knocking at the doors of perception just as determinedly as those early experimenters with hallucinogenic drugs in the last century.”
Conversations with the individuals in Vintiner’s photographs reveal not only the risks involved but also the vast potential of new technologies and their current limitations. As a society, we are accustomed to implants addressing medical issues such as diabetes or heart conditions, and we have long accepted the therapeutic use of plastic surgery. However, the prospect of augmenting our natural senses and abilities through surgical procedures continues to raise challenging ethical questions.
THE TECHNOLOGICAL UTERUS OF THE CYBERNETIC FUTURE HUMAN SPECIES
TRANSHUMANISM: THE ANTI-HUMAN ESSENCE WITH TECHNOLOGIZED HUMANKIND
INTEGRATING THE VISION OF “TECHNOLOGIZED HUMANS” INTO ONE HEALTH
From a transhumanist perspective, a broader discussion on how the technologization of humankind could contribute to global health might involve vertically integrating this topic into the framework of One Health. The philosophical dimensions of this process could align with medical and biological sciences, while the foundational understanding of human-machine-technology interactions might belong to philosophy. Similarly, technological history and futures could be addressed within the social sciences, and technological education within pedagogy. This transition beyond transdisciplinary boundaries could bring a novel understanding of Transhumanism, moving from its ethical and moral implications toward ontological and scientific dimensions—mirroring our desire to maintain ourselves, our bodies, and living systems in a machine-like state of optimal function.
We must expand our understanding of health to include non-human entities, which would enable One Health to better grasp the impacts of Transhumanism on overall health. At this juncture, the close relationship between biology and technology holds the potential to address human health challenges caused by accidents, thereby improving general health and well-being. Integrating humans, machines, science, and technology could open new pathways in the health field, with the transhumanist movement poised to pioneer advancements on behalf of One Health.
DEPERSONALIZATION OF MAN: THE DEFINITION OF HUMAN NO LONGER CONTAINS US
A TRANSHUMANIST SUBCULTURE EXISTS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ART, MEDICINE, AND COUNTERCULTURE
FOUNDATIONAL QUESTIONS EXPLORING THE BOND BETWEEN ONE HEALTH AND TRANSHUMANISM
. Could Transhumanism become part of One Health's future framework? How might these two paradigms benefit from closer cooperation?
. How would Transhumanism influence human health within the context of human-animal and human-environment interactions? How might it redefine the role of human beings within these interactions, which are central to One Health's mission?
. Could One Health incorporate elements of Transhumanism to enhance its technological capacity? If so, would such integration be a desirable or ethical goal?
Are we not already transhumans, surrounded by machines, devices, and tools that enhance and extend our abilities? Aren't medical advancements aligned with the concept of Transhumanism already part of One Health's scope? How might One Health interpret and evaluate humanity in this context?
. How would One Health address the implications of human-machine-technology interactions in the context of Transhumanism? What might be the impact on human health, as well as on lives shaped by changes in both the built and unbuilt environment? How could these interactions influence ecohealth, understood as an ''ecosystem approach to health''?
MA Critical Urbanisms, University of Basel
Spring 2023
Accessor: Prof. Dr. Jakob Zinsstag
SOURCES
Transhumanismus Kolloquium, Spring 2023, University of Basel, Prof. Dr. Reinhold Bernhardt, Prof. Dr. Jakob Zinsstag, Dr. Andrea Kaiser- Grolimund. Class Notes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, One Health available from https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/index.html
One Health, Human and Animal Unit available from https://www.swisstph.ch/en/about/eph/human-and-animal-health
World Health Organization available from https://www.who.int/health-topics/one-health#tab=tab_1
When man meets metal: Rise of the transhumans available from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/29/transhuman- bodyhacking-transspecies-cyborg
No death and an enhanced life: Is the future transhuman? available from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/may/06/no- death-and-an-enhanced-life-is-the-future-transhuman
What is transhumanism? available from https://www.humanityplus.org/transhumanism
The Transhumanist Declaration available from https://www.humanityplus.org/the-transhumanist-declaration
Transhumanism available from https://www.philosophytalk.org/blog/transhumanism
Transhumanism, social and philosophical movement available rom https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hans-Moravec
The anti-essence of transhmanism available from https://orthochristian.com/150294.html
The technological singularity and the transhumanist dream available from https://revistaidees.cat/en/the-technological-singularity-and- the-transhumanist-dream/
How transhumanism would like to manufacture the elite of the future available from https://up-magazine.info/en/le-vivant/homme- augmente/7647-le-transhumanisme-voudrait-fabriquer-l-elite-du-futur-2-2/
Transhumanismus – Die Vision der technologischen Evolution des Menschen. Die Vision der technologischen Evolution des Menschen available from https://hwzdigital.ch/transhumanismus-die-vision-der-technologischen-evolution-des-menschen/
Bagnato, A.(2017) Microscopic Colonialism available from https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/positions/153900/microscopic- colonialism/
Copyright © all rights reserved by Engin Tulay. Unauthorized use is a violation of applicable laws.