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Is it unethical to seek immortality?

Is it unethical to seek immortality?. Arthur Caplan Department of Medical Ethics University of Pennsylvania. Is it unethical to seek immortality ?. Bioengineering the Human Body is Bad! It is revolting, disgusting, dreadful It is dehumanizing, depersonalizing It is vain and arrogant

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Is it unethical to seek immortality?

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  1. Is it unethical to seek immortality? Arthur Caplan Department of Medical Ethics University of Pennsylvania

  2. Is it unethical to seek immortality? • Bioengineering the Human Body is Bad! • It is revolting, disgusting, dreadful • It is dehumanizing, depersonalizing • It is vain and arrogant • It is too costly

  3. Immortality or Longer Life • The ethics of seeking immortality is the wrong question. • It is simply a rhetorical device that critics of life extension use • Few really would want immortality • Boredom, sloth and inequity • Nothing science can do can provide immortality

  4. Is it unethical to seek to live longer? • Says Who? • Mr. Yuks on the right:Kass, Fukuyama, Callahan, Krauthammer, Kristol, Cohen, Elliott • Just ‘no’s on the left: Rifkin, McKibben, Hubbard, Newman

  5. Is it unethical to seek to live longer? A reality check! Bad Arguments: • Why Live longer and decrepit? • a false description -- Better Not Just Longer • It has a morally suspect history of hype, hucksterism and false hope exploiting people • Monkey gland injections, yogurt diets, Hormone replacement, frozen heads • True but so what? • Those who know best, the elderly, don’t want it • This is not a poll it is a choice!

  6. Is it unethical to seek to live longer? Better Arguments: Violates the Natural Order Robs us of finitude and Imperfection and thus joy, pleasure, striving Artificial not Natural

  7. Is it unethical to seek to live longer: better reasons • What is the Natural Order? old make way for the new but nothing in evolution supports that view different life spans contingent life spans

  8. Is it unethical to seek to live longer: better reasons • Religious views of Aging • Punishment for Sin • But not all religions believe this • And, Mortality would still exist even with longer life • We have extended our lives far longer than those enjoyed by the Romans, Hittites and Egyptians and God seems ok with that.

  9. Is it unethical to seek to live longer: better reasons • Robs of finitude and thus challenges and striving • Well not all that makes life worthwhile requires challenge and striving--winning the lottery is ok too • There will be plenty of challenges for those with longer lives!

  10. Is it unethical to seek to live longer: better reasons • Artificial not natural • Is it really ok to live longer by better diet and more exercise but not through genetic engineering or the use of drugs? • What is bad about the artificial in principle especially since most of us flew or drove to this meeting using artificial means?

  11. Is it unethical to seek to live longer? Best Arguments Costs too much--research, social burden It is pure vanity It is not safe--the risk to try is enormous It is inherently unfair unless all can do so

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