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e%22+and+%22defect%22.+However+I+and+others+perceive+the+meaning+of+the+term+disability+as+being+different+from+the+meaning+of+the+terms+impairment%2c+defect%2c+illness+and+chronic+disease.+The+WHO+International+Classification+of+Functioning+(+ICF)+for+example%3a+states+%e2%80%9cDisability+is+characterized+as+the+outcome+or+result+of+a+complex+relationship+between+an+individual%e2%80%9fs+health+condition+and+personal+factors%2c+and+of+the+external+factors+that+represent+the+circumstances+in+which+the+individual+lives.%e2%80%9d13+and+%22+Impairments+are+defined+as+%22problems+in+body+function+or+structure+such+as+a+significant+deviation+or+loss.%2213+Interestingly+the+ICF+definition+of+%e2%80%9eDisability%e2%80%9f+achieves+different+meanings+depending+on+how+one+defines+the+term+%e2%80%9ehealth+condition%e2%80%9f+in+that+definition.+I+also+see+terms+such+as+%e2%80%9edifferently+able%e2%80%9f+being+a+replacement+for+the+term+%e2%80%9eimpairment%e2%80%9f+not+for+the+term+%e2%80%9edisability%e2%80%9f.+I+perceive+%e2%80%9eDisability%e2%80%9f+to+mean%3a+%e2%80%9cPeople%e2%80%9fs+societal+experience+related+to+their+impairment%2c+defect%2c+illness+and+chronic+disease%e2%80%9d(medical%2ctranshumanist%2fenhancement+model)+or+%e2%80%9cPeople%e2%80%9fs+societal+experience+due+to+their+as+subnormative+perceived+non+normative+functioning+(social+model)+Within+a+human+rights+framework+language+one+could+say%3a%e2%80%9d+Disability+means+%e2%80%9cPeople+who+are+%e2%80%9ediscriminated+against%e2%80%9f+due+to+their+impairment%2c+defect%2c+illness%2c+chronic+disease+(+medical%2c+transhumanist%2fenhancement+model)+or+People+who+are+%e2%80%9fdiscriminated+against%e2%80%9f+due+to+their+as+subnormative+perceived+non+normative+functioning+(social+model)+3%2f24%2f2008+21%0d%0a%0d%0a%0cThe+Road+to+Enhancement+Medicine%0d%0aTranshumanist%2fenhancement+of+%e2%80%9cdisability%2fimpairment%e2%80%9d%0d%0a%0d%0aThe+transhumanist+model+of+health+and+disease+sees+every+human+body+as+defective+and+in+need+of+improvement+(above+speciestypical+boundaries)+leading+to+the+transhumanist+model+of+%e2%80%9cdisability%2fimpairment%e2%80%9d+where+every+unenhanced+human+being+is%2c+by+definition%2c+%e2%80%9cdisabled%e2%80%9d+in+the+impairment+%2fpatient+sense.+The+only+way+out+of+the+impairment%2fpatient+label+is+to+enhance+oneself+beyond+species+typical+boundaries.+Everyone+who+can%e2%80%9ft+afford+the+enhancement+of+their+body+will+be+labeled+as+impaired.%0d%0a%0d%0a3%2f24%2f2008%0d%0a%0d%0a22%0d%0a%0d%0a%0cThe+Road+to+Enhancement+Medicine%0d%0aEnhancement+Step+1+Make+people+feel+bad+about+themselves%0d%0a%0d%0a%e2%80%9cThe+number+of+people+with+at+least+one+of+four+major+medical+conditions+has+increased+dramatically+in+the+past+decade+because+of+changes+in+the+definitions+of+disease.%22+The+new+definitions+ultimately+label+75+percent+of+the+adult+U.S.+population+as+diseased+%5bi%5d+Suddenly+sick+A+special+report+by+Susan+Kelleher+and+Duff%0d%0aWilson+%c2%b7+June+26+-+June+30%2c+2005+%3chttp%3a%2f%2fseattletimes.nwsource.com%2fnews%2fhealth%2fsuddenlysick%2f%0d%0a%0d%0aThe+annual+report+on+Americans'+health+found+that+just+over+44+percent+of+all+Americans+take+at+least+one+prescription+drug%2c+and+16.5+percent+take+at+least+three.%0d%0a%0d%0a3%2f24%2f2008%0d%0a%0d%0a23%0d%0a%0d%0a%0cThe+Road+to+Enhancement+Medicine%0d%0aEnhancement+Step+1+Make+people+feel+bad+about+themselves%0d%0a%0d%0aAccording+to+a+2005+report+by+the+Canadian+Institute+for+Health+Information%5bi%5dincreased+drug+spending+in+Canada+relates+to+the+volume+of+drug+use+and+the+entry+of+new+drugs+(typically+introduced+to+the+market+at+higher+prices)+and+not+an+increase+in+prize+of+the+old+drugs+a+conclusion+which+was+also+reached+by+the+Standing+Senate+Committee+on+Social+Affairs%2c+Science+and+Technology+which+states+that+prescription+drug+spending+could+be+attributed+to+increased+utilization+of+existing+drugs+(50%25)%2c+sales+of+new+drugs+in+their+first+full+year+(32%25)+and+price+increases+of+existing+drugs+(18%25).%5bii%5d+%e2%80%9cMedicalization+may+help+feed+unhealthy+obsessions+with+health%2c+obscure+or+mystify+sociological+or+political+explanations+for+health+problems%2c+and+focus+undue+attention+on+pharmacological%2c+individualized%2c+or+privatized+solutions%e2%80%9d.%5biii%5d+People+in+America+feel+much+less+well+than+those+in+Bihar%2c+India%2c+though+their+life+expectancy+is+much+better+(p+860).+%5bi%5d%0d%0a3%2f24%2f2008+24%0d%0a%0d%0a%0cThe+Road+to+Enhancement+Medicine%0d%0aEnhancement+Step+2+Add+Enhancement+to+the+Mix%0d%0a%0d%0a%22'I+believe+in+transhumanism'%3a+once+there+are+enough+people+who+can+truly+say+that%2c+the+human+species+will+be+on+the+threshold+of+a+new+kind+of+existence%2c+as+different+from+ours+as+ours+is+from+that+of+Peking+man.+It+will+at+last+be+consciously+fulfilling+its+real+destiny.%22+Julian+Huxley+First+Director-General+of+UNESCO+%5bi%5d+The+transhumanization+of+medicalization+moves+the+dynamic+of+medicalization+one+step+further+by+adding+the+enhancement+of+body+appearance+and+functioning+above+species+typical+norms+and+boundaries+to+the+mix.+Although+many+maintain+that+a+line+can+be+drawn+between+therapy+and%0d%0aenhancement%5bi%5d+this+might+not+be+as+easy+as+it+sounds+if+not+impossible.+Many+therapies+have+enhancement+aspects+to+them.+Many+enhancements+can+be+classified+as+therapies+and+many+therapeutic+interventions+can+and+are+used+later+on+for+non+therapeutic+purposes.+More+variations+of+human+body+structure+and+functioning+are+labeled+as+deviations+as+diseases+(dynamic+of+medicalization).%0d%0a%0d%0a3%2f24%2f2008%0d%0a%0d%0a25%0d%0a%0d%0a%0cThe+consequences+of+the+transhumanist%2fenhancement+model%0d%0a%0d%0aIf+one+can%e2%80%9ft+prevent+enhancements+a+few+problems+are+imminent+which+one+has+to+deal+with%2c+However+as+the+debate+around+the+issues+and+the+governance+of+science+and+technology+is+structured+in+the+moment+it+is+unlikely+that+it+can+deal+with+any+of+the+below+problems.+a)+The+generation+of+an+ability+divide+(trickle+down+concept+really+does+not+hold+true)+b)+One+can+expect+a+worsening+of+a+gap+between+the+rich+and+poor+countries+and+within+the+rich+and+poor+people+of+every+country+c)+The+concept+of+responsibility.+d)+Cost+explosion+e)+Enhancement+Medicine+f)+Disabled+people+drift+towards+the+Transhumanist%2fenhancement+model+g)+Enhancements+will+lead+to+an+increase+of+people+perceived+as+%e2%80%9eimpaired%e2%80%9f+h)+Decrease+in+self+esteem%3a+Rat+race+of+abilities%3a+i)The+promotion+of+synthetic+biology%0d%0a%0d%0a3%2f24%2f2008%0d%0a%0d%0a26%0d%0a%0d%0a%0cThe+consequences+of+the+transhumanist%2fenhancement+model%0d%0aj)+Change+in+Concept+of+Personhood+(sentient+being)+k)+It+might+lead+to+the+reality+that+basic+%e2%80%9emedical+good%e2%80%9f+with+no+performance+productivity+upsite+will+be+deinsured%2f+seen+as+futile+care+and+enhanced+medical+goods+with+a+performance+productivity+upsite+will+become+insured.+To+quote+Murray+the+designer+of+the+Disability+Adjusted+life+years+%e2%80%9cIn+fact%2c+as+shown+above+the+results+are+quite+consistent+across+groups+that+individuals+prefer%2c+after+appropriate+deliberation%2c+to+extend+the+life+of+healthy+individuals+rather+than+those+in+a+health+state+worse+than+perfect+health%e2%80%9d+(p.726).%e2%80%9d+%5bi%5d+A+bias+flowing+from+the+last+quote%2c+which+one+can+act+on+increasingly+is+to+favour+%22enhancement+medicine%22+over+%22curative+medicine%22.+l)+The+separation+of+consciousness+and+human+body+(where+is+the+soul%3f+Organ+based+memory%3f+m)+Who+will+still+follow+denominations+which+are+against+a+working+immortality%3f+Will+the+Church+become+the+Church+for+the+people+not+being+able+to+afford+immortality%3f+For+what+purpose%3f+To+fight+for+an+equitable+access+to+immortality%3f+Would+the+poor+even+be+a+member+of+the+Church+if+they+know+that+the+Church+won%e2%80%9ft+help+them+gain+Immortality%3f%0d%0a%0d%0a3%2f24%2f2008%0d%0a%0d%0a27%0d%0a%0d%0a%0cThe+consequences+of+the+transhumanist%2fenhancement+model%0d%0a%0d%0a%e2%80%9cWhen+we+hear+the+term%2c+we+usually+think+of+biodiversity+in+foods+or+animals.+But+it+applies+to+humans+as+well.+In+some+sense%2c+the+notion+of+biodiversity+clashes+with+the+transhumanist+paradigm.+To+the+degree+that+biodiversity+defends+the+existence+of+and+prolonging+the+lives+of+all+forms+of+sentience%2c+it+negates+the+doctrine+of+species+improvement+on+the+grounds+that+it+isn't+always+in+good+interests+for+life+itself.+If+becoming+%22better%22+is+about+streamlining+and+selecting+various+physical+and+mental+attributes+over+others%2c+other+cognizant+forms+will+be+left+behind.+Respect+for+biodiversity+thus+negates+the+hierarchy+of+%22ability%22+so+idolized+by+the+human+species.+For+example%2c+disabled+persons'+lack+of+%22ability%22+is+what+defines+how+they+are+perceived%2c+rather+than+personal+characteristics.+One+of+the+critiques+of+transhumanism+as+espoused+by+Dr.+Gregor+Wolbring+is+that+it+serves+to+represent+disabled+persons+as+%22defective+products%22+on+the+ladder+of+%22ability%22.%5b1%5d+%5b1%5d+http%3a%2f%2fwww.betterhumans.com%2fResources%2fEncyclopedia%2farticle.aspx%3f+articleID%3d2002-06-09-1%0d%0a3%2f24%2f2008+28%0d%0a%0d%0a%0cIf+you+have+any+questions+after+the+talk+e-mail+me+at+gwolbrin%40ucalgary.ca%0d%0a%0d%0a3%2f24%2f2008%0d%0a%0d%0a29%0d%0a%0d%0a%0c