rss
J Med Ethics 2007;33:585-587 doi:10.1136/jme.2006.017822
  • Global medical ethics

Who wants to live forever? Three arguments against extending the human lifespan

  1. Martien A M Pijnenburg,
  2. Carlo Leget
  1. Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  1. 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
  • Received 8 June 2006
  • Revised 24 October 2006
  • Accepted 27 October 2006

Abstract

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.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.