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Biohappiness, or bio-happiness, is the elevation of well-being in humans and other animals 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 state of "better than well".[1]
Proponents of biohappiness include the transhumanist philosopher David Pearce, whose goal is to end the suffering of all sentient beings[2] and the Canadian ethicist Mark Alan Walker. Walker has sought to defend biohappiness on the grounds that happiness ought to be of interest to a wide range of moral theorists; and that hyperthymia, a state of high baseline happiness, is associated with better outcomes in health and human achievement.[3][4]
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.[5]
- ^ Walker, Mark (2011). "Happy-people-pills for all" (PDF). International Journal of Wellbeing. 1 (1): 127–148. doi:10.5502/ijw.v1i1.16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-08-02. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
- ^ "Abolitionist Bioethics: Interview with David Pearce by Treehugger". HEDWEB. September 2014. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
- ^ Walker, Mark (December 2006). In Praise of Bio-Happiness (PDF). IEET Monographs Series. Vol. 2. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
- ^ Bailey, Ronald (2007-07-26). "Freezing or Uploading?". Reason.com. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
- ^ Kass, Leon R. (2003-10-16). "The Pursuit of Biohappiness". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-07-23.