دانلود کتاب New Methuselahs: the ethics of life extension

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"Life extension--slowing or halting human aging--is now being taken seriously by many scientists. Although no techniques to slow human aging yet exist, researchers have successfully slowed aging in yeast, mice, and fruit flies, and have determined that humans share aging-related genes with these species. In New Methuselahs, John Davis offers a philosophical discussion of the ethical issues raised by the possibility of human life extension. Why consider these issues now, before human life extension is a reality? Davis points out that, even today, we are making policy and funding decisions about human life extension research that have ethical implications. With New Methuselahs, he provides a comprehensive guide to these issues, offering policy recommendations and a qualified defense of life extension. After an overview of the ethics and science of life extension, Davis considers such issues as the desirability of extended life; whether refusing extended life is a form of suicide; the Malthusian threat of overpopulation; equal access to life extension; and life extension and the right against harm. In the end, Davis sides neither with those who argue that there are no moral objections to life enhancement nor with those who argue that the moral objections are so strong that we should never develop it. Davis argues that life extension is, on balance, a good thing and that we should fund life extension research aggressively, and he proposes a feasible and just policy for preventing an overpopulation crisis."--Dust jacket.;1. An Overview. Introduction -- Optimism about life extension -- Possible methods of life extension and the basic processes of aging -- Is it possible to reverse aging -- Why slowing aging might be harder than we realize -- Are any life extension methods available right now? -- How long would we live? -- Misconceptions about what life extension would be like -- Not everyone thinks life extension is desirable -- Why worry about this now? -- A survey of the moral issues -- 2. The Haves-­Would Extended Life Be Boring? Do you want to live forever? -- A dilemma for the very, very old -- Can you avoid boredom without fading away? -- The boredom pill -- How to survive your survival -- If boredom is unavoidable, is that a reason not to start extended life at all? -- Conclusions -- 3. The Haves-­Death Benefits and the Human Condition. Introduction -- Making a case for extended life -- General problems with bioconservative arguments -- Accepting death -- Motivation and procrastination -- The meaning of life -- Character and virtue -- Narcissism and transcendence -- Adaptive preferences (sour grapes) -- Unscheduled death and the new human condition -- Conclusions -- 4. The Will-­nots-­Life Extension and Suicide. Introduction -- Would making life extension available reduce the death benefits for Will-­nots? -- If you refuse or discontinue life extension, are you committing suicide? -- If refusing or discontinuing life extension is suicide, is it immoral? -- Conclusions -- 5. Everyone-­Social Consequences -- Introduction -- Potential bad social consequences -- Potential good social consequences -- Conclusions -- 6. Everyone-­The Malthusian Threat. Introduction -- Will life extension cause a Malthusian crisis? -- A policy to prevent a Malthusian crisis: Forced Choice -- Practical problems with Forced Choice -- Reproductive ethics and Forced Choice -- Is Forced Choice an oppressive government intrusion into private reproductive choices? -- What if some countries impose Forced Choice and others do not? -- The demographic formula used in this chapter -- Conclusion -- 7. The Have-­nots-­Distress and the Death Burden. Introduction -- Distress -- The death burden -- Can we avoid making the death burden worse if we avoid developing life extension? -- Conclusions -- 8. The Have-­nots-­Equality and Access to Life Extension. Introduction -- Equality -- Inequality as a reason for collective suttee -- What if other needs are more pressing? -- Who has a duty to subsidize life extension for Have-­nots? -- What if it's possible to provide access to some Have-­nots but not possible to provide it to all of them? -- If we are sure that many Haves will breach their duty to the Have-­nots, is that a reason to deny it to everyone? -- Conclusions -- 9. Deciding among the groups--Maximing welfare. Introduction -- Midlevel principles, moral theory, and doing applied ethics -- What it means to maximize welfare -- Objection: we don't have enough information -- Maximizing welfare in the long run -- How to argue that a world without life extension has greater net welfare than a world with it -- Peter Singer's objection -- Conclusions -- 10. Deciding among the groups--Which rights are relevant? Introduction -- Rights and welfare -- The right to equality favors neither inhibition nor promotion -- The right to self-determination favors neither inhibition nor promotion -- The right against harm favors inhibition -- Conclusions -- 11. Deciding among the groups--Rights versus welfare. Introduction -- How to weigh rights against welfare -- Weighing have-not rights against welfare -- Weighing will-not rights against welfare -- Two versions of promotions -- Conclusions -- 12. Enhancement worries. Introduction -- Risk and the precautionary principle -- Authenticity -- Sandel's concern about "giftedness" -- It's not natural -- The value of a natural life span -- Playing God -- Fukuyama, human nature, and human rights -- Is aging a disease? -- Conclusions -- 13. Policy recommendations and list of conclusions. Policy recommendations -- List of conclusions --Appendix A: The science behind life extension. Defining aging -- Previous gains in life expectancy -- Aging is puzzling -- Why we age -- Appendix B: Bernard Williams, personal identity, and categorical desires. Williams's third life extension scenario -- Categorical desires and why we want to keep on living -- The Tarzan objection to the third scenario -- Two unsuccessful objections to the third scenario -- Appendix C: Demographic tables and graphs.