Emancipatory Suffering Abolitionism: A Manifesto

We stand on the brink of a moral and cultural revolution as profound as any in human history. For millennia, fear, shame, and anxiety have warped our judgment, stunted our creativity, and eroded trust. These once “adaptive” burdens now serve no purpose but to impoverish our moral imagination and constrain our empathy. Today, biotechnology and neurotechnology offer us a direct path to dismantling this ancient architecture of torment. Refuse this chance, and we remain puppets on strings of fear and shame—easily pulled by politicians and advertisers into a darker, less authentic future. The choice rests with us now.

Why Suffering’s Reign Must End

Countless generations have bowed to the idea that suffering builds character. That myth must die. The virtues we treasure—courage, honesty, empathy—can flourish without terror and despair as their teachers. We have no duty to preserve a cruel training ground when we possess better methods. To cling to suffering’s supposed necessity is to excuse moral stagnation. We now know we can cultivate moral depth directly rather than coaxing it from agony.

Proof in the Real World: Jo Cameron’s Moral Clarity

Consider the case of Jo Cameron, a woman whose genetics have rendered her almost entirely immune to physical and psychological pain. For most of her life, she never needed over-the-counter painkillers, even after surgeries or accidents that would leave others writhing. Burns and cuts that would typically bring sharp agony and anxiety were noted by her only as a mild inconvenience. Her body’s natural chemistry, altered by rare gene variants, consistently flooded her nervous system with soothing signals, preventing the buildup of stress hormones and panic responses. As a result, she has always approached situations that would unnerve most people with level-headed calm. It wasn’t until doctors investigated her unusually serene response to invasive procedures that they uncovered the depth of her genetic anomaly.

Cameron’s condition isn’t merely the absence of pain; it’s also the absence of the gnawing fear, shame, and ruminating worry that so often hound human consciousness. Conversations with her reveal a person who navigates the world with steady composure and frank kindness—not out of moral struggle against inner demons, but simply because distress doesn’t hold her back. Remarkably, she is not alone. Other individuals with similar genetic profiles have quietly lived their lives unnoticed precisely because they don’t display dramatic maladaptive responses. They, too, share Cameron’s stable empathy and unwavering authenticity. Freed from the suffocating grasp of constant worry and fear, they offer us a glimpse into a way of being that is not morally hollow but morally enhanced—proof that true compassion, courage, and moral clarity can thrive best when not constantly tripped up by the internal lash of negative emotion.

From Ideal to Imperative

David Pearce and other moral thinkers argue that if we can abolish suffering, we must. This is no idle dream; it is now a moral imperative. Jo Cameron’s case shows that human beings can be warm, ethical, and deeply engaged without fear poisoning their empathy or shame muffling their voices. With emerging interventions—reversible gene therapies, noninvasive neurotech—we can scale this reality across society. We can choose a future where anxiety is no longer the price of conscience and shame no longer the admission fee to authenticity.

Liberation by Design

This revolution goes straight to the biological foundations of fear and insecurity. By adjusting the neural chemistry that anchors negative valence, we can shed the heavy chains that keep us compliant, timid, and easily manipulated. These treatments would be reversible and carefully regulated, ensuring freedom of choice at every step. Rather than numbing us into passive bliss, they would dismantle the inner barriers that prevent us from acting on our moral convictions and speaking truth to power.

Undermining the Engines of Exploitation

Entire industries thrive on insecurity. Politicians sow fear to gain compliance. Advertisers prey on self-doubt to move products. Academic, corporate, and cultural norms often punish authenticity. Remove fear and shame from the equation, and these manipulations lose their sting. People would no longer seek hollow comforts to soothe an inner ache. Instead, they would invest energy in meaningful work, genuine relationships, and principled pursuits. Excellence would rise not from desperation but from clarity and confidence.

Reclaiming Authenticity

We have normalized societies where adults fear ridicule more than injustice, where honesty is muted to please the crowd. Such conformity corrodes moral dialogue. Without fear’s lash, honesty becomes natural. Empathy—no longer drowned in personal distress—becomes consistently actionable. In this transformed environment, we would not merely shift details; we would redefine human culture, forging a new world where moral courage and sincerity are as common as fear once was.

Shattering the Facade of Agreement

We currently tolerate environments where individuals mask their true beliefs, talents, and values due to fear of judgment. Once that fear recedes, we will see a cascade of truth-telling and innovation. Divergent ideas and unconventional solutions will flourish. This renaissance of authenticity will not lead to chaos but to a richer and more vibrant tapestry of human life. Our collective thinking will sharpen, our moral reasoning will mature, and our capacity to address global challenges will deepen.

Leading by Deed, Not Secrecy

This revolution should unfold in plain sight. Scientists, activists, and public figures can volunteer as early adopters, documenting every step. If, like Jo Cameron, they emerge with heightened empathy and unbowed moral vision—if their productivity and moral courage increase rather than diminish—then who could deny the potential? Public accountability and transparent research will turn speculation into proof.

Ethical Vigilance and Global Fairness

Of course, such a venture is only safe with oversight. We must establish stringent ethical frameworks, global standards, and democratic input at every stage. The aim is to strengthen moral agency, not to create docile subjects. Equal access is non-negotiable. These interventions cannot become a privilege of the wealthy; to moralize about relieving suffering while hoarding that relief would be hypocrisy of the highest order.

Beyond the Human Sphere

If we accept that needless suffering is an evil for humans, can we ignore it elsewhere? The logic of compassion extends to all sentient beings. As we design humane futures for ourselves, we must consider whether we can also mitigate unjustifiable suffering in the animal world. True moral progress does not stop at our doorstep.

Answering Objections, Embracing Reality

The idea that suffering is needed for depth or meaning is an empty refrain echoed by those afraid of change. We know better. Jo Cameron’s world, and that of others like her, demonstrates that moral clarity does not rest on distress. Heroism and empathy emerge more cleanly in the absence of paralyzing fear. 

A Moral Responsibility to Choose Change

In the past, we considered many forms of oppression to be permanent facts of life—until we dared to end them. Our attitude toward suffering must follow the same trajectory. To defend psychological torment as “natural” when we can relieve it is to hide behind complacency. We must face reality head-on: if we do nothing, we consent to a status quo that keeps our species morally hobbled and mentally shackled. 

A Revolutionary Call to Action

Picture a future where we no longer lurch between anxiety and shame, where acts of kindness flow freely without the sting of empathic overload. Imagine moral debates powered by sincere convictions rather than social terror. This is not a distant fantasy; it is within reach... if we choose it. We have the tools. We have the evidence. All that remains is the will to act.

We are at the threshold of the next great human revolution—one that targets the deep internal tyrannies within us. Will we pass through it? Will we claim our right to moral clarity, courage, and authentic empathy, or will we squander this moment and remain prisoners of an emotional architecture built for another age?

The choice is ours, and the stakes are high. History will measure us by whether we dared to free ourselves from needless suffering and thus unleashed humanity’s fuller moral and creative potential. We must seize this opportunity now. Let us end the long, dark reign of fear and despair and begin a brighter chapter in our shared story—one defined by truth, compassion, and the courage to live authentically.

Further Reading: 

On Jo Cameron: www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/13/a-world-without-pain

On Creating the Technology: www.faroutinitiative.com

On the Philosophical Roots: www.hedweb.com

(Brought to you by Lucid Ludic; finely polished by LLM)