Ethical Issues on Aging and Longevity Soraj Hongladarom Center for Ethics of Science and Technology, Chulalongkorn University

Overview  Advances in medical technology.  Human lifespan poised to extend dramatically.  What are the ethical issues?  Is it always desirable to extend lifespan further and further?

Advances in Medical Technology  The mechanism of aging is now more understood.  This results in attempts to prolong and extend ‘healthy lifespan.’  Main motivation of modern medicine: avoid death at all cost.

Possible Future Scenario  Humans living more than one hundred years will become more common.  In order to maintain population balance, fewer children will have to be born.  What will happen to the family structure?  Many laws and regulations have to be rewritten - insurance policies, retirement age, pension, etc.

Extended Lifespan and Meaning of Life  This increase in lifespan prompts a question on the meaning of life itself, as well as that of death.  The basic thinking behind this attempt is that death is to be avoided at all cost.  Perhaps one should pause and reflect on what exactly is desired when one wishes to extend one’s lifespan.

The Buddhist Viewpoint  Buddhism prompts one to question the meaning and value of life. It differs from the Judeo- Christian tradition in that it does not consider life to be sacred in itself.  On the contrary, Buddhism regards life to be only valuable when it is meaningful.  To be meaningful means that life has to contribute to the main goal, which is liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths.

Peter Singer  Re-evaluation of traditional Western ethics  Rethinking Life and Death  Affinities and differences with the Buddhist thought.