Transdisciplinarity at the Boundaries: Exploring a Sylvan Metaphor for Health

Abstract

Transdisciplinarity is an action-oriented intellectual and ethical endeavor to address complex ecological, economic, and political challenges that humans face. Language is viewed as a powerful tool for necessary cultural change. Blending art and science looking for the difficult to define but critically important hidden spaces between apparently rigid conceptual structures is a core of transdisciplinarity. Metaphor is a particular powerful tool for examining boundaries and developing creative blends of structures and processes. Forests are biologically and culturally critical to life on the planet. In this paper we explore, a performance character named Sylvanus, the Tree Doctor, named after the Roman god of forests and boundaries. We consider the importance of intergenerational learning as a process for deeper reflection on human responsibility over time. Transdisciplinarity is energized by intergenerativity and collective wisdom. Systemic and holistic conceptions of health will be essential for the survival and reinvention of human civilization in better balance with planetary ecosystems.