Biohappiness is the elevation of utility in humans through biological methods, including germline engineering through screening embryos with genes associated with a high level of happiness, or the use of drugs intended to raise baseline levels of happiness. The object is to facilitate the achievement of a “better than well.”
Proponents of biohappiness include the philosophical abolitionist David Pearce , whose goal is to end the suffering of all sentient beings; and the Canadian ethicist Mark Alan Walker . Walker has sought to defend biohappiness on the grounds of morality; and that hyperthymia, a state of high baseline happiness, is associated with better outcomes in health and human achievement. [1] [2]
The concept of biohappiness also has its high-profile critics, including Leon Kass , who served on the President’s Council on Bioethics during the presidency of George W. Bush. [3]
References
- Jump up^ Mark Alan Walker, “In Praise of Biohappiness,” IEET Monographs No. 2, December 2006, at ieet.org/archive/IEET-02-BioHappiness.pdf
- Jump up^ Ronald Bailey, “Freezing or Uploading: Which Road to Immortality Would You Choose?” athttp://reason.com/news/printer/121585.html
- Jump up^ Leon Kass, “The Pursuit of Biohappiness,” Washington Post, October 16, 2003, athttp://www.aei.org/article/19300