Manu Herrán (Madrid, Spain) is a computer engineer, lecturer on Computer Science at the Immune Technology Institute, lecturer on Communication in the Faculty of Philosophy of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Machine Learning and Operational Research at the Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio and Databases and Computer Design at Universidad de Deusto. Software developer, creator of artificial life simulations, genetic algorithms, evolutionary algorithms, he is author of about 100 essays and two books dealing mainly with the subject of sentience in animals and machines, as well as evolution, cooperation, intelligence, death, ethics and other topics.
He is Founder of the “Sentience Research” association which develop, disseminate and promote research on sentience aimed at a better world, and particularly, reducing intense, involuntary and useless suffering. He is also Associate Researcher at OPIS (Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering) and Chief Advisor at The Far Out Initiative, a company dedicated to applying the latest advances in genomics and neuroscience to prevent involuntary suffering.
Manu is a regular public speaker on animal rights and also on the neglected possibility of suffering in inorganic substrates (Digital Sentience, Sentience in Machines, Artificial Sentience) and its risks. He has proposed new models of hypotheses on sentience: a theory exactly opposed to Emergentism (Immersionism), a theory in which the absence of identity is dominated by pleasure (Paneudaimonia) and a Platonic theory of the capacity to feel (Sentient Platonism). He has also developed conceptual models for the development of computer simulations of metaphysical theories.
He considers himself a pseudo consequentialist, pseudo negative utilitarian from an axiological or meta-ethical point of view (some say “descriptive ethics” point of view), not from a “prescriptive ethics” or “normative ethics” point of view. That is, without referring to what people should be doing, duty (“ought”) or guilty, he believes that the world, now, in practice would be better if we reduce suffering instead of trying to be even happier. This does not mean that it is a bad idea to pursue happiness. On the contrary, reaching positive hedonic states is good because negative hedonic states are avoided.
More info https://manuherran.com/ – Contact
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Tagline history:
- Observe, think, act. But not as usual.
- My mission is to create technology, systems and methods for individuals to enjoy greater control over their lives.
- My goals are 1) Reduce involuntary suffering 2) Make voluntary suffering unnecessary 3) Maximize happiness.
- Less suffering, more happiness and more life in the Universe. But in that order.
- The end of intense, involuntary and useless suffering.
- Preventing intense, involuntary and useless suffering.
- The intersection of Computer science, Communication and Philosophy with the aim of reducing suffering.
- The intersection of Computer Science, Communication and Philosophy.
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