Enhancement of the human life span
It is true that aging as such is not considered a disease. However, many of its side effects also occur as symptoms of illness, which means that the concept of anti-aging medicine rightly claims that the prevention or reduction of age-related health problems is a medical task. Nevertheless, many bioethicists are of the opinion that anti-aging medical measures should be regarded as enhancement at the latest when they are no longer aimed at a healthy realization of the "natural" life expectancy, but at its considerable expansion. Some scientists even hope that biotechnological processes could slow down the human aging process to such an extent that a lifespan of several centuries is conceivable, or that within the next few decades the aging process could even be brought to a complete halt.
Proponents of biotechnological life extension are, for instance:
De Grey, A. (2005): Life Extension, Human Rights, and the Rational Refinement of Repugnance. In: Journal of Medical Ethics, 2005, Vol. 31 (11), 659–663.
De Grey, A. / Rae, M. (2008): Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime. New York: St. Martin's.
Freitas, R. A. Jr. (2004): Nanomedicine. In: Sethe, S. (ed.): The Scientific Conquest of Death. Essays on Infinit Lifespans. Buenos Aires: LibrosEnRed, 77–91. Online Version
Kurzweil, R. / Grossman, R. (2005): Fantastic Voyage. Live Long Enough to Live Forever. Science behind Radical Life Extension. New York: Plume.
Sinclair, D. A. / LaPlante, M. D. (2019): Lifespan. The Revolutionary Science of Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To. London: Thorsons 2019.
Bostrom, N. (2005): The Fable of the Dragon Tyrant. In: Journal of Medical Ethics, 2005, 31 (5), 273–277. Online Version
Scenarios of a considerable extension of human life span are on the one hand a challenge for such theories of a happy life, which regard the finite nature of human life as a decisive prerequisite for its success. Even if many people would accept the offer of a significant extension of their lifetime without much hesitation, it is questionable whether a longer life is always a more fulfilling one. Furthermore, scenarios of radical life extension raise concerns about equality, as discussed in relation to many enhancement procedures (cf. Section III.3 on the ethical problems in the main text of this Blickpunkt). It would be an especially extreme manifestation of inequity if, in the future, very expensive biotechnological processes were to help a privileged upper class extend their life span by several decades.
For an explicitly ethical discussion of biotechnical life extension, see for instance:
Knell, S. (2015): Die Eroberung der Zeit. Grundzüge einer Philosophie verlängerter Lebensspannen. Frankfurt a. M.: Suhrkamp.
Knell, S. / Weber, M. (ed.) (2009): Länger leben? Philosophische und biowissenschaftliche Perspektiven. Frankfurt a. M.: Suhrkamp.
Knell, S. (2017): „Philosophische und ethische Aspekte des Alterns“. In: Sturma, D. /Lanzerath, D. (ed.): Altern. Biologische, psychologische und ethische Aspekte. Ethik in den Biowissenschaften – Sachstandsberichte des DRZE, Bd. 16. Freiburg/München: Karl Alber, 106–162.
Knell, S. (2018): „Lebenszeit und Ergonzeit. Das Projekt der biotechnischen Lebensverlängerung aus anthropologischer Sicht“. In: Hartung, G. / Herrgen, M. (ed.): Interdisziplinäre Anthropologie. Jahrbuch 5/2017: Lebensspanne 2.0. Wiesbaden: Springer, 3–32.
Knell, S. (2018): „Erweiterte Lebenszeit und Zeitknappheit. Überlegungen zu ihrer philosophischen Bewertung“. In: Dietrich, F. / Müller-Salo, J. / Schmücker, R. (Hg.): Zeit – eine normative Ressource? Klostermann Rote Reihe, 106. Frankfurt a. M: Klostermann, 106–120.
The President’s Council on Bioethics (2003): Ageless Bodies. In: The President’s Council on Bioethics: Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Happiness. Washington D. C.: U. S. Government Printing Office.
Harris, J. (2002): Intimations of Immortality: The Ethics and Justice of Life Extending Therapies. In: Current Legal Problems 55, 65–96.
Harris, J. (2007): Enhancing Evolution. The Ethical Case for Making Better People. Princeton/Woodstock: Princeton University Press.