"the hedonistic imperative"

[Parshvik Chintan]

"The Hedonistic Imperative outlines how genetic engineering and nanotechnology will abolish suffering in all sentient life.

The abolitionist project is hugely ambitious but technically feasible. It is also instrumentally rational and morally urgent. The metabolic pathways of pain and malaise evolved because they served the fitness of our genes in the ancestral environment. They will be replaced by a different sort of neural architecture - a motivational system based on heritable gradients of bliss. States of sublime well-being are destined to become the genetically pre-programmed norm of mental health. It is predicted that the world's last unpleasant experience will be a precisely dateable event.

Two hundred years ago, powerful synthetic pain-killers and surgical anesthetics were unknown. The notion that physical pain could be banished from most people's lives would have seemed absurd. Today most of us in the technically advanced nations take its routine absence for granted. The prospect that what we describe as psychological pain, too, could ever be banished is equally counter-intuitive. The feasibility of its abolition turns its deliberate retention into an issue of social policy and ethical choice."

 

[benzyme]

what, hedweb?
pshh.. that's been around before erowid

mr pearce has some interesting theories, but like any other utopian ideology,
abolition of pain is unrealistic. we supposedly evolved the ability to process
pain for damage control. eradicating that mechanism will lead to our quick demise.
the ideal solution would be to limit it with as little side-effects possible. controlling stress,
now there's a more reasonable goal.

 

[arcanum]

I think David Pearce is a closet advocate for the pharmaceutical companies and a bit of a hypocrite. In one breath he condems animal research and in the other encourages the casual use of psychopharms as " mood boosters"
In "Healthy Mood Boosters for all the Family" he goes to great lengths to minimize the dangers of consuming potentially harmfull pharmaceuticals while barely mentioning anything about entheogens and their undeniable salutory qualities. In fact he avidly discourages/ dimisses them as "best avoided", until our psyches have been "de-darwinised" by so called "paradise engineers". Lol, the ramblings of an intellectual moron.

 

[Mindlusion]

definitely some interesting theories..

but like benzyme said, pain is necessary for survival, otherwise you would never learn to avoid something that can cause you pain,

Individuals with a rare condition who cannot feel any physical pain known as congenital analgesia usually don't live very long, usually due to simple mistakes or accidents.

Mr pearce speaks about psychological pain, but I believe its there for the same reason as physical pain, its just evolutionary.

your best bet is to learn to enjoy the pain :twisted:

 

[SKA]

Totally agree with Benzyme. Pain is nececairy for survival.
But it's also nececairy to define it's opposite; Pleasure.

I will agree with anyone who sais that there is TOO MUCH pain and suffering
in the world. Man-made suffering that is entirely unnececairy and can be avoided.
I agree that such levels of suffering do not belong in this world. In our lives.

But I cannot agree with the notion of completely getting rid of pain.
The right amount of pain will keep us alert and help us avoid danger.
Too much pain will make us depressed, catatonic & disfunctional, but
too little pain will make us Apathic, Cold, Careless & unaware of
threats. You'd be like an opiate junkie on opiates. Not desirable.
In fact most of the general public goes about their dayly lives in
a state of mind just like that, either flatlined by opiates or by
the stressfull, boring rush of a workaholic society.

Balance is what you want. Just the right amount of sensitivity to pain.
Not too much, not too little.