Whether it's losing a loved one or stubbing a toe, suffering is an inescapable part of life. But does it have to be? In this episode of The Small Print, Bronwyn speaks to philosopher and transhumanist David Pearce, who posits the radical idea that all forms of suffering should be abolished from every living creature on earth — and explains how genetic engineering and nanotechnology can make this ambitious project a reality.
---
Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist, trend analyst and host of The Small Print. Her day job as a partner at Flux Trends involves helping business leaders to use foresight to design the future they want to live and work in. You may have seen her talking about Transhumanism or Tikok on Carte Blanche, or heard her talking about trends on 702 or CNBC Africa where she is a regular expert commentator. When she's not talking to brands and businesses about the future, you will probably find her curled up somewhere with a (preferably paperback) book. She tweets at @bronwynwilliams.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bronwynwilliams
Flux Trends: https://www.fluxtrends.com/future-flux/futurist-in-residence/
Website: https://whatthefuturenow.com/
---
David Pearce is a British philosopher of the negative utilitarian school of ethics. He believes and promotes the idea that there exists a strong ethical imperative for humans to work towards the abolition of suffering in all sentient life. His book-length internet manifesto "The Hedonistic Imperative" details how he believes the abolition of suffering can be accomplished through "paradise engineering". A transhumanist and a vegan, Pearce also calls for the elimination of cruelty to animals.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/webmasterdave
Website: https://www.hedweb.com/
---
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube: https://bit.ly/2u46Mdy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/discourse-za
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discourseza/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/discourseza
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discourseza/
Subscribe to the Discourse ZA Podcast:
iTunes: https://apple.co/2V5ckEM
Stitcher: https://bit.ly/2UILooX
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2vlBwaG
RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2VwsTsy
Intro Animation by Cath Theo - https://www.instagram.com/Cuz_Im_Cath/
