Recent developments in the ethics, science, and politics of life extension

Abstract

Blackballing the reaper is an old pursuit, and considerable progress has been made. For the past 150 years, best-performance life expectancy (i.e. life expectancy in the country where it is highest) has increased at a very steady rate of 3 months per year1. Life expectancy for the ancient Romans was circa 23 years; today the average life expectancy in the world is 64 years. Will this trend continue? What are the consequences if it does? And what ethical and political challenges does the prospect of life extension create for us today? This article comments on some views on the ethics, science, and politics of life extension from a recent edited volume, The Fountain of Youth.