Notes on the political economy of planetary health - with reflections on prospects for the 'symbiocene' and the 'post-modern princess'.

This short reflection draws upon political economy and historical and social perspectives to help make sense of the crises, forces and influences that have shaped global and planetary health and may do so in the foreseeable future. Our contribution reflects on the existing world order and its structures of political economy, with their 'morbid symptoms', or on 'what is'. We then consider not only what planetary health 'might be', but also what it 'ought to be' for progressive, socially just and ecologically sustainable change to promote improvement in the health of people and our planet. To address the question of what might promote such transformations we introduce two concepts: the 'symbiocene' and the 'post-modern princess'. These concepts may help us to theorise new forms of political agency orientated to ethically advancing that future scenario.