jonleighton

I run OPIS, a think-and-do tank I founded that's dedicated to the prevention of intense suffering of all sentient beings. We've been focused on improving access to controlled substances (morphine and psychedelics) for the effective treatment of severe pain (terminal cancer and cluster headaches, respectively) and, to a lesser extent through postings and talks, on ending factory farming. Our larger goal and where we are putting more of our efforts is in promoting compassionate ethics in governmental decision-making to prioritise the prevention of intense suffering. I'm the author of two books on ethics, The Battle for Compassion: Ethics in an Apathetic Universe (2011) and my new book, The Tango of Ethics: Intuition, Rationality and the Prevention of Suffering (January 2023). I've also co-organised a workshop  in the Swiss Alps for suffering-focused EAs from around Europe. I'm officially based in Switzerland but spend much of my time in Greece. My background is in molecular biological research.