Abolitionism (bioethics)

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Abolitionism is a bioethical school and movement which proposes the use of biotechnology to maximize happiness and minimize suffering while working towards the abolition of involuntary suffering.[1] “Abolition” is used for the name of this movement, in the context of “the abolition of suffering".

The Abolitionist Society is a non-profit foundation and forum, founded in 2002, dedicated to the advancement of this philosophy.

Contents

[edit] Philosophy

In this context, abolitionism (not to be confused with the anti-slavery movement of the same name) is motivated by Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian ethic, [2] but goes a step further in that it is more principally inspired by the tenets of negative utilitarianism.[3] Most abolitionists would be classified as negative utilitarian, believing that suffering of any kind, no matter how small, should be prevented. [4] Philosopher David Pearce’s abolitionist manifesto, “The Hedonistic Imperative”, serves as both the inspiration for the group’s beliefs and as a demonstration of how the world can convert Abolitionist philosophies into reality.

To many people surveyed, achieving the highest level of happiness possible is the most important aspect and primary goal of their lives.[5] Many people think that money or love will make them happier, but this has not been found to be the case in scientific studies.[6][7] Happiness exists, but sometimes not for long, and people experience negative consequences from emotions and events to a greater extent than they experience the opposite effect from positive emotions — it is easy to make someone unhappy and much less easy to make that person happy again.[8] Humans have been found in studies to achieve a “baseline happiness”,[9] sometimes called the hedonic treadmill, a pre-determined happiness level that a person will return to throughout their entire lives no matter what happens to him or her, regardless of income[10], and regardless of the occurrence of events that most people theorize would make a person permanently happy or permanently sad, such as a lottery win or the death of a close relative.

According to evolutionary theory, humans evolved through natural selection and follow genetic imperatives which seek to maximize reproduction[11], not happiness. As a result of these selection pressures, the extent of human happiness is limited biologically. Through advanced scientific research, especially in the fields of neuroscience, biotechnology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and psychopharmacology, Pearce theorizes in his manifesto that humans can overcome their genetic propensity for depression and suffering. Abolitionists see depression as a physical, not mental, deficiency, that can therefore be solved just as anesthesia can prevent pain and just as medication can often make one feel better or worse. A depressed person can usually make themselves feel better only by attacking the physical root of the depression, by taking an antidepressant that changes serotonin re-uptake levels in the brain. By similarly re-engineering the brain, humans can become a new kind of being which experiences primarily happiness rather than a longing to reproduce. Some imagine that this could be accomplished through not only technology already in the pipeline, such as genetic engineering, but techniques that have not yet been realized such as mind uploading.

Abolitionists desire to promote this idea that emotions have a physical, not mental, source-- and use it to fundamentally change the way that humans' brains operate and the way that humans experience life.[12] Abolitionists believe that where biological evolution has failed to create happiness for all people, technology can take over and create a new type of human which feels only happiness and never suffers. The Abolitionist Society is dedicated to bringing this idea to fruition.

[edit] Scientific advancements

It is believed that the goals of the Abolitionist Society may be accomplished through scientific research. Recently, laboratory breakthroughs have bolstered the group's ideas by reinforcing the idea that happiness is physically-based and can be influenced through scientific methods. A recent study found that when a certain gene affecting seratonin levels was removed from the brains of mice, the rodents became happy no matter their circumstances and no matter how depressed they would normally be.[13] Guy Debonnel and his colleagues at McGill University conducted the research, which proved for the first time in a laboratory setting that depression could be entirely eliminated in an animal through gene manipulation.

[edit] Abolitionism

The term “abolitionism”, used to describe the use of biotechnology to eliminate suffering, was first proposed by Lewis Mancini in 1986, in his articles for Medical Hypotheses Journal. Abolitionism is the use of science to maximize happiness and minimize suffering — not just in humans but in all sentient life. It is a philosophy inspired by utilitarian ethics: if happiness equals value, then the elimination of suffering or 'maximization of value' should be the prime objective of the human race.

Abolitionism makes no distinction among sentient creatures — all are deemed worthy of being saved from suffering by biotechnological intervention.

Although similar to transhumanism, abolitionism declares that we should not stop at “better than well” and seeks proof for any reasoning as to why human beings must continue to be designed to suffer.

[edit] Founders

David Pearce, author of ‘’The Hedonistic Imperative’’ and honorary president, founded the group with Pablo Stafforini, Sean Henderson, and Jaime Savage. The Abolitionist Society now serves as the focal point and prime community for this movement and philosophy. Pearce maintains a network of related websites on the abolitionist movement and associated subjects.[14] The Abolitionist Society exists as a forum and ongoing initiative to critically evaluate and apply the ideals of abolitionism through means of a nonprofit foundation.

[edit] Quotes

Technofantasy? Quite possibly. Perhaps we'll opt to conserve the nasty side of life for ever. But if you think minimising suffering is a good idea – and bioscience holds the answers – then web-based campaigning to win hearts and minds is a rational strategy.

– David Pearce

[edit] Literature relating to the abolitionist project

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Abolitionist Society. Abolitionism. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  2. ^ Interview with David Pearce. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  3. ^ Utilitarian Bioethics. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  4. ^ The Despair of John Stuart Mill. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  5. ^ Natasha Walter. The most precious commodity. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  6. ^ Happiness, Money, and Giving It Away. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  7. ^ Daniel Kahneman, Alan B. Krueger, David Schkade, Norbert Schwarz, Arthur A. Stone. Would You Be Happier If You Were Richer? A Focusing Illusion. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  8. ^ Roy F. Braumeister and Ellen Bratslavsky. Bad Is Stronger Than Good. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  9. ^ David Lykken and Auke Tellegen. Happiness Is a Stochastic Phenomenon. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  10. ^ RA Easterlin. Will Raising the Incomes of All Increase the Happiness of All?. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  11. ^ Raymond Bohlin. Sociobiology: Evolution, Genes and Morality. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  12. ^ Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. The Abolition of Suffering. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
  13. ^ Yahoo news article; discovery of a gene therapy for depression
  14. ^ HedWeb

[edit] External links

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