Global medical ethics
Who wants to live forever? Three arguments against extending the human lifespan
Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Correspondence to:
Martien A M Pijnenburg, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Dep. of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine, Internal code: 137 EFG, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; m.pijnenburg{at}efg.umcn.nl
The wish to extend the human lifespan has a long tradition in many cultures. Optimistic views of the possibility of achieving this goal through the latest developments in medicine feature increasingly in serious scientific and philosophical discussion. The authors of this paper argue that research with the explicit aim of extending the human lifespan is both undesirable and morally unacceptable. They present three serious objections, relating to justice, the community and the meaning of life.
Keywords: life extension; ageing; meaning of life; community; global justice
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