**1. David Pearce’s Career and Contributions:**
– Pearce grew up in Burpham, Surrey, with a family history of vegetarianism.
– He studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the University of Oxford.
– Pearce founded BLTC Research in 1995.
– Introduced paradise engineering and the abolitionist project to end suffering.
– Advocated for negative utilitarianism and the use of technology to eliminate suffering.
– Co-founded the World Transhumanist Association and holds positions in various ethics and technology-related organizations.
– Published books like ‘The Hedonistic Imperative’ and contributed to other works exploring suffering abolition through biotechnology.
– Active in media interviews and academic articles on transhumanism and posthumanism.
**2. Ecological and Ethical Perspectives:**
– Discusses the ecological role of predatory species in maintaining populations.
– Advocates for fertility regulation and compassionate alternatives to traditional conservation biology.
– Organizations like OPIS focus on reducing suffering, while the Qualia Research Institute explores consciousness.
– Various organizations and initiatives like Humanity+, IEET, and Lifeboat Foundation play advisory roles.
– Centers like Invincible Wellbeing and the Center on Long-Term Risk focus on long-term well-being.
**3. Advocacy for Animal Rights:**
– Notable advocates like Carol J. Adams, Aysha Akhtar, Steven Best, and Marc Bekoff promote ethical treatment of animals.
– Organizations like Viva! and Viva! Health support vegetarianism and animal rights.
– Historical figures, authors, chefs, and cookbook authors advocate for vegetarianism and plant-based diets.
– Contributions to ethical discussions by various individuals and historical figures.
**4. Philosophical Perspectives on Nature:**
– Various philosophers and thinkers question the ethics of nature.
– Discussions on nature’s brutality, the impact of meat consumption, and enhancing human experiences.
– Works by Richard Smyth, Simon Fairlie, Andrew Zuckerman, and Ingo Niermann highlight different perspectives on nature.
**5. Ethical Discussions and Contributions:**
– Historical figures and authors contribute to ethical debates.
– Rich history of vegetarianism and advocacy for ethical treatment of animals.
– Contributions by individuals like Henry Stephens Salt, James Rachels, Ellen G. White, and Valluvar.
– Cookbook authors, chefs, and figures like Mayim Bialik and Gypsy Boots promote ethical eating habits.
David Pearce (born April 1959) is a British transhumanist philosopher. He is the co-founder of the World Transhumanist Association, currently rebranded and incorporated as Humanity+. Pearce approaches ethical issues from a lexical negative utilitarian perspective.
David Pearce | |
|---|---|
,_September_2013.jpg){kind=spacer} Pearce in 2013 | |
| Born | April 1959 (age 64–65) |
| Alma mater | Brasenose College, Oxford |
| Organisation | Humanity+ |
| Known for | The Hedonistic Imperative (1995) |
| Movement | Transhumanism, veganism |
| Website | www |
Based in Brighton, England, Pearce maintains a series of websites devoted to transhumanist topics and what he calls the "hedonistic imperative", a moral obligation to work towards the abolition of suffering in all sentient life. 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 "information-sensitive gradients of bliss". Pearce calls this the "abolitionist project".