What is transdisciplinarity?

Transdisciplinarity is a systematic approach to complex research and, above all, a way of understanding the world. Although its roots lie in the insights of ancient traditions and philosophies, it has established itself today as an important, rigorous tool for the integration of knowledge, enabling the development of multiple lines of research and thought unified by a common rationale. Its epistemological foundation was developed by various authors—notably the philosopher and mathematician Alfred Whitehead in the first half of the 20th century, Edgar Morin through his concept and "hologrammatic principle" (2015), and, above all, Basarab Nicolescu in his *Manifesto of Transdisciplinarity* (1999).

More than just a concept, transdisciplinarity is an open system for constructing knowledge. It systematizes what history and tradition have always known: knowledge only reaches its full potential when integrated. In the academic environment, this approach serves as a tool for unified synthesis, essential for addressing the complexity of contemporary specialized fields.

The aim is to move beyond the view of isolated disciplines and embrace knowledge that is naturally integrated and practical. But how can we bring together knowledge from diverse sources to foster coordinated, conscious action in the world? Meeting this challenge lies at the heart of transdisciplinary thought.

We understand that the boundaries between fields of knowledge are merely methodological constructs; in practical reality, knowledge is indivisible. The driving challenge—and the defining characteristic of transdisciplinary thought—is the ability to articulate distinct foundations in order to act with precision and depth upon the complexity of human reality.

Transdisciplinarity employs a cognitive resource to understand and engage with the complexity of the human phenomenon through the logic of the "Included Third" (Nicolescu, 1999)—wherein variables cannot be treated merely as mechanisms (binary logic) or biological living systems (feedback logic)—yet it remains widely misunderstood, both in Brazil and internationally. It is frequently confused with interdisciplinarity—viewed in the restricted sense of interactions between disciplines—without accounting for what lies beyond and across those disciplines to form a unified understanding (bridging theory and practice) that transcends the mere articulation of information. In this context, it is worth recalling the distinctions between disciplinarity, multidisciplinarity, pluridisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity. While the prefixes *multi-* or *pluri-* refer to “the study of an object from a single discipline by several disciplines simultaneously” (Nicolescu, 1999, p. 50)—or to the transfer of methods from one discipline to another (which would be interdisciplinarity in Nicolescu’s terminology, with both operating at the same level of reality)—transdisciplinarity “is concerned with the dynamics generated by the action of several levels of reality at the same time” (ibid., p. 52).

History of Transdisciplinarity as a Research Methodology

 The First Forum on Science and Culture of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), held in Venice in 1986, marked the beginning of the consolidation of the transdisciplinary concept. Participants in these forums, representing various fields of expertise and regions of the world, produced declarations that served as guidelines for subsequent actions. The formal origins of transdisciplinarity can be traced back to the UNESCO Venice Declaration, which was signed in 1986 by Romanian physicist Basarab Nicolescu and mathematician Ubiratan D’Ambrosio, a representative of UNICAMP (at the time, Vice-Rector for University Development at that institution) and the only Brazilian to sign it.

In 1987, Nicolescu, together with Edgar Morin, founded CIRET (Centre International de Recherches et études transdisciplinaires), a Paris-based nongovernmental organization dedicated to international transdisciplinary studies and research.

The Manifesto of Transdisciplinarity was published in 2002—a translation of the manifesto originally published in French by Basarab Nicolescu in 1996. As Carlos Alberto Pereira Silva (2007) summarizes, “The Manifesto of Transdisciplinarity, by offering a profound critique of the process of fragmentation of knowledge, suggests approaches grounded in an understanding of the multiple dimensions of reality.”

Held in Brasília with the aim of promoting a transdisciplinary and holistic perspective, the First International Holistic Congress in 1987 impressed the then-governor of the Federal District, José Aparecido, who encouraged related initiatives. Since then, a transdisciplinary movement parallel to Nicolescu’s has emerged in Brazil, led by Pierre Weil, Ubiratan D’Ambrosio (UNICAMP), and Roberto Crema. In 1993, they authored the book Rumo à Nova Transdisciplinaridade. This book established four major disciplines or epistemic forms related to the four Jungian functions, with each discipline combining two functions.

At the First World Congress on Transdisciplinarity in 1994, the Charter of Transdisciplinarity was adopted. Although the document addresses Nicolescu’s three axioms and the four epistemic forms of Weil, D’Ambrosio, and Crema only partially and implicitly, it was a historic milestone in terms of fundamental principles.

To consolidate all historical information from international forums related to transdisciplinarity from 1986 to 1994, the University of Brasília published in Portuguese—edited by Ubiratan D’Ambrosio—the Declarations of the UNESCO Science and Culture Forums (Venice, Vancouver, and Belém) and the Charter of Transdisciplinarity.

In addition to the movements in France and Brazil, there is also a third one in Switzerland, known as Zurich. Given this, the conceptual-methodological framework, as we know it, can be divided into three taxonomies, according to the understanding of Prof. Dr. Sue L. T. McGregor, a senior member of CIRET:

— Nicolescu (methodology);

— Zurich (focus on science); and

— Brazil (applied knowledge).

In this respect, Nicolescu takes a more philosophical approach, Zurich promotes dialogue between academics and non-academics. The Brazilian holistic transdisciplinarity, meanwhile, is the most pragmatic, as it integrates therapeutic and organizational approaches. In a sense, we can say that these are complementary concepts.

In 1998, 40 researchers from the Escola do Futuro da Universidade de São Paulo (USP) founded CETRANS (Centro de Educação Transdisciplinar). Thus, Brazil fostered 20 years of theoretical research and made significant contributions to the field of transdisciplinary education at national and international conferences. Two publishing houses were very active during this period: Triom and Polar Editorial, which published an exhaustive list of national and international transdisciplinary thinkers. both past and present. Several books explored the dialogue between science and tradition—ranging from the alchemical tradition to indigenous cosmogony. Several members and founders of CETRANS—established in 1998 and dissolved in 2023—remain active and are participating in the NUTRANS initiative.

Particularly in light of diverse and urgent academic and social demands, dialogue in a multipolar world—one that must move beyond binary thinking—becomes indispensable.

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