Treatise on the influence of theism, transhumanism, and posthumanism on nursing and rehabilitation healthcare practice

Abstract

Reservations concerning the ontologies of theism, transhumanism and posthumanism compel an explicatory discourse on their influences on Nursing and rehabilitation healthcare. Key journals in Nursing and health sciences have recently devoted themed issues on intelligent machine technologies such as humanoid healthcare robots and other highly technological healthcare devices and practice initiatives. While the technological advance witnessed has been a cause for celebration, questions still remain that are focused on the epistemological concerns. The purpose of this article is to discuss theistic ontologies such as the Judeo-Christian, Shinto-Buddhist and Islamic religious belief systems on transhumanism and posthumanism in the assimilation of symbiotic technological beings in Nursing and rehabilitation healthcare practice. In view of the approaching technological singularity dominating arguments regarding the future of human beings, a treatise on Nursing and rehabilitation health care is positioned well within the realms of human care. Theism, transhumanism and posthumanism are directing discussions regarding human beings and healthcare processes. It is imperative that the beneficial effects of these discussions be acknowledged within the highly technological world of Nursing and rehabilitative healthcare.

El transhumanismo y la mejora de la calidad de vida de las personas mayores: ¿Cómo podría configurar el futuro del dolor y el sufrimiento en las personas mayores?

“…Sin embargo, el budismo es compatible con la filosofía del transhumanismo de reducir el dolor y el sufrimiento con los conocimientos disponibles y las tecnologías emergentes si se alcanza el objetivo (55). Si esta es la influencia social y religiosa normativa, y teniendo en cuenta que se espera que aumente el envejecimiento de la población entre la esfera budista y no afiliada, entonces las modificaciones biológicas, junto con los avances tecnológicos, nos enfrentarían a una población envejecida que se adentraría en esta área potencialmente sin restricciones, si se pudiera prometer el "elixir de la longevidad" sin dolor ni sufrimiento.…”

Farewell to humanism? Considerations for nursing philosophy and research in posthuman times

“…Increasingly, in the context of these discussions, nurse authors turn to philosophical and theoretical perspectives contrasting, and severing ties with, traditional humanist beliefs. Preparing for this presentation, I reviewed a small sample of (mostly) Nursing Philosophy articles published since 2020 and discussing or citing posthumanism (Adam et al, 2021; Dillard‐Wright, 2022; Foth & Leibing, 2021; Kalogirou et al, 2020; Smith et al, 2022; Tanioka et al, 2021). This selection by no means represents all posthumanist nursing discourse; however, as the reader will glean from these publications, posthumanism is not a single or unified perspective but rather a constellation of theoretical positions with variations and subtleties specific to the sources cited in nursing articles.…”

Robots and Robotics in Nursing

“…However, the argument on whether robots are capable of having a “soul”, arguing that the soul allows human beings to be able to manifest caring and “be with” persons, will introduce various concepts relating to the human soul. That correlates with beliefs about God and how the idea of the humans’ unique capability of caring is endowed by a god as the human soul is said to be reflected in a god’s being [ 39 ].…”