Existential Hope Drop #24: David Pearce, Philosopher
Imagining a future without suffering
This month, we talk to David Pearce, a thought leader who is always pushing the boundaries of human potential. Pearce, a philosopher and bioethicist, is best known for his advocacy of transhumanism – the movement that seeks to enhance human capabilities through technology.
We'll explore his ideas on overcoming aging, achieving radical life extension, embracing cognitive enhancement, adn ending all suffering. Join us as we unpack the ethics and possibilities of the future, and discover Pearce's vision for a world where humanity transcends its biological limitations
David's Mentioned Resources
DAVID'S EXISTENTIAL HOPE SCENARIO
Pearce's Vision for a Civilization of Pure Bliss
David Pearce imagines a transformative existential hope future where humanity transcends its current emotional and experiential limits, achieving an unprecedented mastery over our states of consciousness. This future envisions expanding our hedonic range from today's -10 to +10 to an extraordinary +90 to +100, creating a civilization where living in a state of profound bliss is the norm for future transhumans and posthumans.
The foundation of this vision rests on unlocking the molecular signature of pure bliss and solving the "binding problem." The binding problem is how our brain puts together all the different things we see, hear, and feel into one single experience. Solving this problem is crucial for Pearce's vision, as it would enable a deeper understanding and manipulation of consciousness, allowing us to engineer states of well-being far beyond current imagination.
Pearce's scenario is one of existential hope, where life's potential is magnified to levels previously unimaginable. It's a future where the default condition of living beings is one of immense joy, achieved through the harmonious blend of advanced understanding and technological mastery over the very fabric of our conscious experience.
About the art
This art piece was created with the help of Dall–E 3.
Related Xhope Library Recommendations:
Superabundance - Maryan Tupy. On innovation over Malthus.
Transhumanist Values - Nick Bostrom. On global security, technological progress, wide access and derivative values required to explore the posthuman realm.
David Pearce on Understanding Psychedelics - Milan Griffes. An Effective Altruism post on the role of psychedelics in consciousness research.
Crazy Ideas for Future Synbio & Bioengineering - Stephen Malina. Lists potential future goals and applications in biotechnology.
NEWS FROM THE XHOPE ECOSYSTEM
2024 Hackathon Report: Prototyping Institutions for Transformative AI Scenarios – Existential Hope
The Foresight Institute and the Future of Life Institute (FLI) partnered to host a hackathon in San Francisco on February 5-6, 2024. This event focused on designing institutions to guide the development of powerful future AI ("Transformative AI") for the benefit of humanity.
Over two days, participants identified key goals for Transformative AI, assessed current institutions, and sketched out nine promising institutional prototypes. These prototypes included ideas like a "Flourishing Foundation" to certify AI for human well-being and a "Global Deliberation Coordinator" to facilitate international discussion on AI governance.
To encourage further development, grants were awarded to the most promising proposals. The winning team received $10,000 to continue their work on a system for measuring and promoting well-being in AI products. You can read the full event report here.
We'll keep you updated on the progress of these innovative proposals!
Nominations Open for the 2024 Hugo Awards
Nominations are open for the Hugo Awards, the highest honor in the genre of sci-fi. This year, why not nominate your favorite sci-fi work that explores themes of existential hope? Did a book inspire you with humanity's potential to overcome challenges? Perhaps a movie captivated you with a vision of a technological utopia.
The Hugo Awards encompass novels, movies, and even games! Head to
https://glasgow2024.org/
to nominate and celebrate the sci-fi that gives you hope for the future!
First Contact on Netflix: Acclaimed Sci-Fi Novel "The Three-Body Problem" Debuts!
Trailer for The Three-Body Problem on Netflix.
The highly anticipated adaptation of Cixin Liu's Hugo Award-winning novel, The Three-Body Problem, has landed on Netflix!
This epic series, created by the team behind Game of Thrones (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss), takes viewers on a mind-bending journey as humanity grapples with the discovery of extraterrestrial life and the existential threat it brings.
The show promises a thrilling exploration of first contact, societal upheaval, and the fight for survival in a universe filled with unknowns. Whether you're a familiar with the book or a sci-fi newcomer, "The Three-Body Problem" is sure to be a captivating addition to your Netflix queue.
New book on Deep Utopia by Nick Bostrom
A greyhound catching the mechanical lure—what would he actually do with it? Has he given this any thought?
Bostrom’s previous book, Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies changed the global conversation on AI and became a New York Times bestseller. It focused on what might happen if AI development goes wrong. But what if things go right?
Suppose that we develop superintelligence safely, govern it well, and make good use of the cornucopian wealth and near magical technological powers that this technology can unlock. If this transition to the machine intelligence era goes well, human labor becomes obsolete. We would thus enter a condition of "post-instrumentality", in which our efforts are not needed for any practical purpose. Furthermore, at technological maturity, human nature becomes entirely malleable.
Here we confront a challenge that is not technological but philosophical and spiritual. In such a solved world, what is the point of human existence? What gives meaning to life? What do we do all day?
Deep Utopia shines new light on these old questions, and gives us glimpses of a different kind of existence, which might be ours in the future.
Learn more about our work at existentialhope.com.