Eradication of suffering

Short description: Biotechnological elimination of involuntary suffering

For other uses, see Abolitionism (disambiguation).

The eradication of suffering or abolition of suffering is a proposed goal within biotechnology and ethics to eliminate involuntary pain and suffering in all sentient beings. The concept involves using advanced techniques in genetic engineering, neuroscience, and pharmacology to mitigate or prevent negative experiences, with the long-term aim of replacing suffering with states of well-being. It is associated with strands of transhumanism, utilitarianism, and animal welfare ethics that advocate for the use of science and technology to reduce or abolish suffering on a global or species-wide scale.

## Contents

* 1 Biology and medicine
* 2 Ethics and philosophy
* 2.1 Debate in hedonism and utilitarianism
* 2.2 Alternative views
* 3 Psychological and sociocultural perspectives
* 4 Animal welfare
* 4.1 Reducing animal suffering through biotechnology
* 4.2 Wild-animal suffering
* 5 Feasibility
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 Further reading

## Biology and medicine

The discovery of modern anesthesia in the 19th century was an early breakthrough in the elimination of pain during surgery, but acceptance was not universal. Some medical practitioners at the time believed that anesthesia was an artificial and harmful intervention in the body's natural response to injury.[1] Opposition to anesthesia has since dissipated; however, the prospect of eradicating pain raises similar concerns about interfering with life's natural functions.[2]

People who are naturally incapable of feeling pain or unpleasant sensations due to rare conditions like pain asymbolia or congenital insensitivity to pain have been studied to discover the biological and genetic reasons for their pain-free lives.[3] A Scottish woman with a previously unreported genetic mutation in a FAAH pseudogene (dubbed FAAH-OUT) with resultant elevated anandamide levels was reported in 2019 to be immune to anxiety, unable to experience fear, and insensitive to pain. The frequent burns and cuts she had due to her full hypoalgesia healed quicker than average.[4][5][6]

In 1990, Medical Hypotheses published an article by L. S. Mancini on the "genetic engineering of a world without pain":[7]

> A hypothesis is presented to the effect that everything adaptive which is achievable with a mind capable of experiencing varying degrees of both pleasure and pain (the human condition as we know it) could be achieved with a mind capable of experiencing only varying degrees of pleasure.

The development of gene editing techniques like CRISPR has raised the prospect that "scientists can identify the causes of certain unusual people's physical superpowers and use gene editing to grant them to others."[8] Geneticist George Church has commented on the potential future of replacing pain with a painless sensory system:[9]

> I imagine what this would be like on another planet and in the future, and... given that imagined future, whether we would be willing to come back to where we are now. Rather than saying whether we're willing to go forward... ask whether you're willing to come back.

## Ethics and philosophy

### Debate in hedonism and utilitarianism

Ethicists and philosophers in the schools of hedonism and utilitarianism, have debated the merits of eradicating suffering.[10] Transhumanist philosopher David Pearce, in The Hedonistic Imperative (1995), argues that the abolition of suffering is both technically feasible and an issue of moral urgency,[11] stating that: "It is predicted that the world's last unpleasant experience will be a precisely dateable event."[12]

The philosopher Nick Bostrom, director of the Future of Humanity Institute, advises a more cautious approach due to pain's function in protecting individuals from harm. However, Bostrom supports the core idea of using biotechnology to get rid of "a huge amount of unnecessary and undeserved suffering."[10]

### Alternative views

It has also been argued that the eradication of suffering through biotechnology may bring about unwanted consequences, and arguments have been made that transhumanism is not the only philosophy worthy of consideration regarding the question of suffering. Many people view suffering as one aspect in a dualist understanding of psychological and physical functioning, without which pleasure could not exist.[13]

## Psychological and sociocultural perspectives

Template:Llm Modern psychology recognizes that suffering, while often undesirable, can play a constructive role in human development, resilience, and meaning-making. Existential psychologists such as Viktor Frankl have argued that suffering can be a source of personal growth, purpose, and transcendence, particularly when it is unavoidable. In his work Man's Search for Meaning, Frankl suggests that “suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.”[14][15][16] This perspective challenges purely hedonistic or utilitarian models that prioritize the elimination of discomfort over its contextual significance.

From a sociocultural standpoint, suffering is also embedded in collective narratives and traditions. Religious and spiritual traditions—including Buddhism, Christianity, and Stoicism—have historically placed suffering at the center of ethical and metaphysical inquiry. For example, the Buddhist concept of dukkha (suffering) is not something to be eliminated through technology alone but transcended through insight and mental discipline. Critics of technological interventions suggest that an exclusive focus on biological solutions may overlook these cultural and existential dimensions, potentially impoverishing the human experience.[17][18][19]

## Animal welfare

### Reducing animal suffering through biotechnology

In 2009, Adam Shriver suggested replacing animals in factory farming with genetically engineered animals with a reduced or absent capacity to suffer and feel pain.[20] Shriver and McConnachie argued that people who wish to improve animal welfare should support gene editing in addition to plant-based diets and cultured meat.[21]

Katrien Devolder and Matthias Eggel proposed gene editing research animals to remove pain and suffering. This would be an intermediate step towards eventually stopping all experimentation on animals and adopting alternatives.[22]

### Wild-animal suffering

Concerning wild-animal suffering, CRISPR-based gene drives have been suggested as a cost-effective way of spreading benign alleles in sexually reproducing species.[23][24][25] To limit gene drives spreading indefinitely (for test programmes, for example), the Sculpting Evolution group at the MIT Media Lab developed a self-exhausting form of CRISPR-based gene drive called a "daisy-chain drive."[26][27] For potential adverse effects of a gene drive, "[s]everal genetic mechanisms for limiting or eliminating gene drives have been proposed and/or developed, including synthetic resistance, reversal drives, and immunizing reversal drives."[28]

## Feasibility

Template:Llm According to David Pearce, eradicating suffering is technically feasible by addressing its biological basis, as external changes cannot overcome the genetically constrained hedonic treadmill. Potential solutions include wireheading (direct brain stimulation for uniform bliss), which undermines motivation and evolutionary fitness; designer drugs, offering sustainable well-being without side effects, though impractical for lifelong reliance; and genetic engineering, the most promising approach. Genetic recalibration through hyperthymia-promoting genes could raise hedonic set-points, fostering adaptive well-being, creativity, and productivity while maintaining responsiveness to stimuli. While scientifically achievable, this transformation requires careful ethical and societal considerations to navigate its profound implications.[29]

## See also

* Antinaturalism
* Appeal to nature
* Biohappiness
* Effective altruism
* Meliorism
* Immanentize the Eschaton
* Moral circle expansion
* Pain in animals
* Prioritarianism
* Suffering-focused ethics
* Suffering risks
* Transhumanism
* Wild animal suffering

## References

1. ↑ Meyer, Rachel; Desai, Sukumar P. (October 2015). "Accepting pain over comfort: resistance to the use of anesthesia in the mid-19th century". Journal of Anesthesia History 1 (4): 115–121. doi:10.1016/j.janh.2015.07.027. PMID 26828088.
2. ↑ Hildebrandt, Eleanor (2020-05-19). "Scientists may soon be able to turn off pain with gene editing: should they?". Leaps by Bayer. https://leapsmag.com/scientists-may-soon-be-able-to-turn-off-pain-with-gene-editing-should-they/.
3. ↑ Shaer, Matthew (May 2019). "The Family That Feels Almost No Pain" (in en). Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/family-feels-almost-no-pain-180971915/.
4. ↑ Murphy, Heather (2019-03-28). "At 71, She's Never Felt Pain or Anxiety. Now Scientists Know Why." (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/health/woman-pain-anxiety.html.
5. ↑ Habib, Abdella M.; Okorokov, Andrei L.; Hill, Matthew N.; Bras, Jose T.; Lee, Man-Cheung; Li, Shengnan; Gossage, Samuel J.; van Drimmelen, Marie et al. (August 2019). "Microdeletion in a FAAH pseudogene identified in a patient with high anandamide concentrations and pain insensitivity" (in en). British Journal of Anaesthesia 123 (2): e249–e253. doi:10.1016/j.bja.2019.02.019. PMID 30929760.
6. ↑ Sample, Ian (2019-03-28). "Scientists find genetic mutation that makes woman feel no pain". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/mar/28/scientists-find-genetic-mutation-that-makes-woman-feel-no-pain.
7. ↑ Mancini, L. S. (1990). "Riley-Day Syndrome, brain stimulation and the genetic engineering of a world without pain". Medical Hypotheses 31 (3): 201–207. doi:10.1016/0306-9877(90)90093-t. PMID 2189064.
8. ↑ Regalado, Antonio (2019-08-22). "The next trick for CRISPR is gene-editing pain away". MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/08/22/133291/the-next-trick-for-crispr-is-gene-editing-pain-away/.
9. ↑ Church, George; Perry, Lucas (2020-05-15). "FLI Podcast: On the Future of Computation, Synthetic Biology, and Life with George Church". https://futureoflife.org/2020/05/15/on-the-future-of-computation-synthetic-biology-and-life-with-george-church.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Power, Katherine (July–August 2006). "The End of Suffering". Philosophy Now (56). https://philosophynow.org/issues/56/The_End_of_Suffering.
11. ↑ Dvorsky, George (2012-09-27). "Should we eliminate the human ability to feel pain?". https://io9.gizmodo.com/should-we-eliminate-the-human-ability-to-feel-pain-5946914.
12. ↑ Pearce, David (1995). "The Hedonistic Imperative". https://www.hedweb.com.
13. ↑ Renstrom, Joelle (2018). "It's the End of the World as We Know It and We Feel Fantastic: Examining the End of Suffering". NANO: New American Notes Online 13. https://nanocrit.com/issues/issue13/It-s-the-End-of-the-World-as-We-Know-It-and-We-Feel-Fantastic-Examining-the-End-of-Suffering. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
14. ↑ "Man's Search for Meaning: Viktor Frankl on the Human Drive for Purpose". 6 March 2020. https://dailystoic.com/mans-search-for-meaning/#:~:text=Frankl himself did this in,others were able to survive.. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
15. ↑ "Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl". 14 April 2020. https://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2020/04/14/mans-search-for-meaning-by-viktor-frankl/#:~:text=Finding meaning in “unavoidable suffering,imbue their suffering with meaning.. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
16. ↑ "Finding Life's Purpose with Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning". 26 June 2024. https://achology.com/psychology/finding-lifes-purpose-with-viktor-frankls-mans-search-for-meaning/. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
17. ↑ Urbaniak, Jakub (January 2014). "The search for meaning in Viktor Frankl's Man's search for meaning". HTS Theological Studies 70 (1): 01–10. https://scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0259-94222014000100040#:~:text=In light of Marcel's distinction,can be found in Christianity.. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
18. ↑ Antonia Macaro (23 December 2017). "Buddhist and Stoic Wisdom". https://modernstoicism.com/buddhist-and-stoic-wisdom-by-antonia-macaro/#:~:text=The starting point for both,There is an Alternative.. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
19. ↑ Antonia Macaro (22 December 2018). "How Buddhist is Stoicism?". https://modernstoicism.com/how-buddhist-is-stoicism-by-antonia-macaro/. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
20. ↑ Shriver, Adam (2009). "Knocking Out Pain in Livestock: Can Technology Succeed Where Morality has Stalled?". Neuroethics 2 (3): 115–124. doi:10.1007/s12152-009-9048-6. https://philarchive.org/archive/SHRKOP.
21. ↑ Shriver, Adam; McConnachie, Emilie (2018). "Genetically Modifying Livestock for Improved Welfare: A Path Forward". Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 31 (2): 161–180. doi:10.1007/s10806-018-9719-6. Bibcode: 2018JAEE...31..161S. https://philpapers.org/archive/SHRGML.
22. ↑ Devolder, Katrien; Eggel, Matthias (2019). "No Pain, No Gain? In Defence of Genetically Disenhancing (Most) Research Animals". Animals 9 (4): 154. doi:10.3390/ani9040154. PMID 30970545.
23. ↑ Johannsen, Kyle (2017-04-01). "Animal Rights and the Problem of r-Strategists" (in en). Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 20 (2): 333–345. doi:10.1007/s10677-016-9774-x. ISSN 1572-8447. https://philarchive.org/rec/JOHARA-7.
24. ↑ Pearce, David (2016–2020). "Compassionate Biology: How CRISPR-based 'gene drives' could cheaply, rapidly and sustainably reduce suffering throughout the living world". https://www.hedweb.com/gene-drives/index.html.
25. ↑ Esvelt, Kevin (2019-08-30). "When Are We Obligated To Edit Wild Creatures?" (in en-US). https://leapsmag.com/when-are-we-obligated-to-edit-wild-creatures/.
26. ↑ Noble, Charleston; Min, John; Olejarz, Jason; Buchthal, Joanna; Chavez, Alejandro; Smidler, Andrea L.; DeBenedictis, Erika A.; Church, George M. et al. (2019-04-23). "Daisy-chain gene drives for the alteration of local populations" (in en). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116 (17): 8275–8282. doi:10.1073/pnas.1716358116. ISSN 0027-8424. PMID 30940750. Bibcode: 2019PNAS..116.8275N.
27. ↑ Esvelt, Kevin. "Daisy Drive Systems". MIT Media Lab. http://www.sculptingevolution.org/daisydrives.
28. ↑ Vella, Michael R.; Gunning, Christian E.; Lloyd, Alun L.; Gould, Fred (2017-09-08). "Evaluating strategies for reversing CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives" (in en). Scientific Reports 7 (1): 11038. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-10633-2. ISSN 2045-2322. PMID 28887462. Bibcode: 2017NatSR...711038V.
29. ↑ "The Abolitionist Project". https://www.hedweb.com/abolitionist-project/index.html. Retrieved 22 January 2025.

## Further reading

* Kianpour, Connor; Paez, Eze (2021-02-16). "Red in Tooth and Claw No More: Animal Rights and the Permissibility to Redesign Nature". White Horse Press 31 (2): 211–231. doi:10.3197/096327121X16081160834777. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/ev/pre-prints/content-whp_ev_2705.
* Paez, Eze (2020-04-01). "A Kantian ethics of paradise engineering" (in en). Analysis 80 (2): 283–293. doi:10.1093/analys/anz077. ISSN 0003-2638. https://academic.oup.com/analysis/article/80/2/283/5626214.
* Levy, Ariel (2020-01-13). "A World Without Pain". The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/13/a-world-without-pain.
* Waxman, Stephen G. (2018). Chasing Men on Fire: The Story of the Search for a Pain Gene. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. ISBN 9780262037402.
* Pearce, David (2017). Can Biotechnology Abolish Suffering?. North Carolina: The Neuroethics Foundation. ISBN 9781386842149.
* Specter, Michael (2016-12-26). "Rewriting the Code of Life" (in en). The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/02/rewriting-the-code-of-life.

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