The Ethics of Extending and Creating Life

Abstract

Philosopher Michelle Hutchinson discusses the ethical weight of extending lives of different ages, primarily adults. She explores principles based on equality, a “fair share” of life, and prioritizing the worst-off. However, she argues that these principles face objections and do not adequately explain our moral intuition to prioritize extending younger lives. Hutchinson suggests that empirical factors, such as evolutionary biases, societal investment in young adults, and their greater economic productivity, may underlie this intuition. She emphasizes the importance of considering these factors in healthcare resource allocation and policy decisions to justify age-weighting in favor of younger adults. – AI-generated abstract.