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Update (May 13, 2019): This was written years ago, so my views have changed. There’s still interesting things in this post though.
In this post, I will consider the relationship between the philosophical idea of the Hedonistic Imperative and my interpretation of what a sentient being might ultimately aspire to, when unencumbered by the problems faced in contemporary society and the current underlying biological substrate from which our human minds and consciousnesses emerge from.
The philosopher David Pearce makes a compelling case for what he calls ‘The Hedonistic Imperative,’ a philosophical outlook that we human beings in particular and all sentient life in general should use whatever technological means available ranging from psycho-pharmaceuticals, to genetic engineering, and eventually advanced nanotechnology for the purpose of ending suffering and maximizing pleasure of sentient life. There’s clearly much to unpack in the language used and the implicit intent of these noble, though extreme and perhaps impractical views.
Consider the vast space of possibility of psychological states we humans have subjectively experienced or can objectively imagine. What are the most valued or desired ones? Clearly, those involving pain of various sorts do not lead in the rankings. We seek pleasure and move away from…
