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Never Too Late to Live a Little Longer? The Quest for Extended Life and Immortality – Some Ethical Considerations

Görman, Ulf LU (2006)
Abstract
This book chapter discusses and evaluates four different efforts to extend human life: Normalize ageing, Optimize ageing, Retard ageing and postpone death, and Eliminate or overcome ageing and death.



I suggest that improved treatment of disease and handicap at all ages should be welcomed. As a secondary effect, this may in many cases result in an extension of individual lives. However, the direct aim at life extension through modification of certain basic human properties, such as genetic enhancement, should be looked at with suspicion. It may involve exaggerated risks, but the main argument is that it may diminish the existential character of what it is to be human, involving relation to others as a central aspect. To... (More)
This book chapter discusses and evaluates four different efforts to extend human life: Normalize ageing, Optimize ageing, Retard ageing and postpone death, and Eliminate or overcome ageing and death.



I suggest that improved treatment of disease and handicap at all ages should be welcomed. As a secondary effect, this may in many cases result in an extension of individual lives. However, the direct aim at life extension through modification of certain basic human properties, such as genetic enhancement, should be looked at with suspicion. It may involve exaggerated risks, but the main argument is that it may diminish the existential character of what it is to be human, involving relation to others as a central aspect. To intentionally produce humans so that they become immortal is a violation against these individuals, because they lack an important existential dimension of human life. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
genetic enhancement, life extension, overcome death, eliminate death, overcome ageing, and eliminate ageing, postpone death, retard ageing, normalize ageing, optimize ageing
host publication
Future Perfect? God, Medicine and Human Identity, edited by Celia Deane-Drummond and Peter Manley Scott
publisher
T&T Clark
ISBN
0-567-03079-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9a9e1ff0-3037-4780-85a2-7486871e5503 (old id 537267)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:39:00
date last changed
2023-05-08 13:50:19
@inbook{9a9e1ff0-3037-4780-85a2-7486871e5503,
  abstract     = {{This book chapter discusses and evaluates four different efforts to extend human life: Normalize ageing, Optimize ageing, Retard ageing and postpone death, and Eliminate or overcome ageing and death.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
I suggest that improved treatment of disease and handicap at all ages should be welcomed. As a secondary effect, this may in many cases result in an extension of individual lives. However, the direct aim at life extension through modification of certain basic human properties, such as genetic enhancement, should be looked at with suspicion. It may involve exaggerated risks, but the main argument is that it may diminish the existential character of what it is to be human, involving relation to others as a central aspect. To intentionally produce humans so that they become immortal is a violation against these individuals, because they lack an important existential dimension of human life.}},
  author       = {{Görman, Ulf}},
  booktitle    = {{Future Perfect? God, Medicine and Human Identity, edited by Celia Deane-Drummond and Peter Manley Scott}},
  isbn         = {{0-567-03079-2}},
  keywords     = {{genetic enhancement; life extension; overcome death; eliminate death; overcome ageing; and eliminate ageing; postpone death; retard ageing; normalize ageing; optimize ageing}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{T&T Clark}},
  title        = {{Never Too Late to Live a Little Longer? The Quest for Extended Life and Immortality – Some Ethical Considerations}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}