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A Return to the Ethical Imperative
(Wednesday February 13 2008)
 | A bioethical examination of the documentary "Do You Want To Live Forever?" can be found at BioethicsBytes: "ultimately it's a matter of choice. Do we want to continue our youthful lives of the people who are already alive, or do we want to have turn-over of people dying ... and being replaced by people who are born? ... [Aubrey de Grey] acknowledges that people may have different opinions about which of these options is the most desirable, but argues that if we are able to extend healthy lifespan and thereby avoid people having to die horribly our ethical obligations lie with those who are already alive. Thus, de Grey's arguments suggest that research and development into life-extension technology is, not only desirable, but an ethical imperative. He positions this choice as both the individual and societal level." That modern societies operate as though there is a "social level," at which the few can force their decisions upon the many, is the real problem. Healthy life extension technology is, fundamentally, the greatest possible expression of individual choice - the choice to keep on living in good health, one day at a time, and the choice to work towards creating a future in which that will always be possible. |
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