O presente texto tem por objetivo promover criticamente o conceito de iatrogenia a partir das contribuições do pensador Ivan Illich para os campos da Bioética e Saúde Pública. A partir de revisão de literatura com abordagem qualitativa, a proposta é compreender como as expressões iatrogênicas, em particular a iatrogênese do corpo, estabelecem diálogos com a bibliografia hegemônica recente acerca do “melhoramento humano” e seu glossário em disputa, em particular, a corrente transumanista e bioliberal norte-situada. A discussão enfatiza que pensar num corpo “perfeito”, “saudável”, “aprimorado” é necessariamente seguido por uma imagem-pensamento hegemônica de corpos que sejam os padrões universais de humanidade, isto é, corpos brancos, heteronormativos, masculinos, individuais, autossuficientes, revelando a faceta moderna/colonial desse imperialismo moral. Por fim, destacamos o papel da colonialidade da vida enquanto um reflexo de iatrogenias na estrutura do corpo social, evidenciando a importância de um fazer/pensar/agir bioético posicionado de modo crítico em relação a uma noção única ocidental de humanidade a ser melhorada.
This text aims to critically promote the concept of iatrogenesis based on the contributions of the thinker Ivan Illich to the fields of Bioethics and Public Health. Based on a literature review with a qualitative approach, the proposal is to understand how iatrogenic expressions, in particular iatrogenesis of the body, establish dialogues with the recent hegemonic bibliography on "human iemhecement" and its disputed glossary, in particular, the North-situated transhumanist and bioliberal current. As a result and discussion, we emphasize that thinking about a "perfect", "healthy", "improved" body is necessarily followed by a hegemonic image-thought of bodies that are the universal standards of humanity, that is, white, heteronormative, masculine, individual-self-sufficient bodies, revealing the modern/colonial facet of this moral imperialism. Finally, we highlight the role of the coloniality of life as a reflection of iatrogenies in the structure of the social body, showing the importance of a bioethical way of doing/thinking/acting that is critical of a single Western notion of humanity to be improved.
Keywords:
iatrogenic disease; human enhancement; colonialism; bioethics.
This text aims to critically promote the concept of iatrogenesis based on the contributions of the thinker Ivan Illich to the fields of Bioethics and Public Health. Based on a literature review with a qualitative approach, the proposal is to understand how iatrogenic expressions, in particular iatrogenesis of the body, establish dialogues with the recent hegemonic bibliography on "human iemhecement" and its disputed glossary, in particular, the North-situated transhumanist and bioliberal current. As a result and discussion, we emphasize that thinking about a "perfect", "healthy", "improved" body is necessarily followed by a hegemonic image-thought of bodies that are the universal standards of humanity, that is, white, heteronormative, masculine, individual-self-sufficient bodies, revealing the modern/colonial facet of this moral imperialism. Finally, we highlight the role of the coloniality of life as a reflection of iatrogenies in the structure of the social body, showing the importance of a bioethical way of doing/thinking/acting that is critical of a single Western notion of humanity to be improved.
Palavras-chave (keywords):
iatrogenic disease; human enhancement; colonialism; bioethics.
Caixeta, I.A, Gallina, R.. Biomelhoramento moral em tempos iatrogênicos. Cien Saude Colet [periódico na internet] (2025/mar). [Citado em 26/06/2026].
Está disponível em: http://cienciaesaudecoletiva.com.br/artigos/biomelhoramento-moral-em-tempos-iatrogenicos/19555?id=19555&id=19555
