#482 David Pearce: Transhumanism, The Hedonistic Imperative, and Abolishing Suffering

<p>------------------Support the channel------------</p> <p>Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter">https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter</a></p> <p>SubscribeStar: <a href="https://www.subscribestar.com/the-dissenter">https://www.subscribestar.com/the-dissenter</a></p> <p>PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter</p> <p><br></p> <p>This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning &amp; Development done differently. Check the website here: <a href="http://enlites.com/">http://enlites.com/</a></p> <p><br></p> <p>David Pearce is a prominent figure within the transhumanism movement and one of the co-founders of the World Transhumanist Association, currently rebranded and incorporated as Humanity+. His self-published internet manifesto, The Hedonistic Imperative (1995), outlines how pharmacology, genetic engineering, nanotechnology and neurosurgery could converge to eliminate all forms of unpleasant experience from human and non-human life, replacing suffering with "gradients of bliss". Pearce calls this the "abolitionist project".</p> <p>In this episode, we talk about transhumanism, the hedonistic imperative, and the abolitionist project. We first get into concepts like negative utilitarianism, hedonism, and gradients of bliss. We discuss the goals of the abolitionist project, and the living beings it would target. We talk about the different technological approaches to abolishing suffering, like pharmacology, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, neurosurgery, becoming cyborgs, Nozick’s experience machine, and immortality. We discuss to what extent these technologies are sufficiently well-developed, or if we would need to wait more time. We discuss why social, economic, and political reforms are not enough. We tackle questions regarding how our human experience would change. We discuss how we should deal with people who would prefer to opt out of the abolitionist project. Finally, we ask if we have less suffering in the world nowadays.</p> <p>--</p> <p>A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLA