Immortality: Is it ethical?

[Disgustipated]

Let's just say that some day Immortality is possible. Is it ethical to do so? Wouldn't that cause human population to skyrocket to the point we would destroy the entire planet? Wouldn't it be unfair upon people being born that older people are using up all their resources? Older people would accumulate so much wealth, that there would be no hope for younger people of accumulating wealth. But my main reason for thinking it's unethical is you are taking up space needed by someone being born.

I even think it's unethical for doctors to extend the lifespan past 100. I say this because they aren't really extending a person's "prime" years, they are extending their "useless" years.

And this isn't just a hypothetical. I do believe immortality may be possible some day. I do believe we will be able to manipulate DNA to the point to stop the aging process. So I ask the question. Is it ethical to do this?

I know you may all say this is little different than vaccines and the like that extend the human life span. But at some point, the Earth will be "full". You either kill all the babies coming in, or kill all the old people. Which is it?

edit: for the purposes of this thread, I mean immortality is we are able to stop the aging process through DNA manipulation, I'm not saying you are invincible.

 

[TomYo689]

There is no problem with destroying the planet if you are immortal. Unless you qualify it you won't need food or a planet or whatever for people to live. How do you kill babies if they're immortal?

 

[Disgustipated]

There is no problem with destroying the planet if you are immortal. Unless you qualify it you won't need food or a planet or whatever for people to live. How do you kill babies if they're immortal?

By immortality I mean we stop the aging process. I'm not saying you are invincible. I'm saying you just don't die by natural causes. But you can still die by unnatural causes like a bullet, hit by a car, etc.

 

[Chiteng]

It doesnt matter. No one wants to die. No one wants to age.
You are born with a bias. If immortality is ever actually achieved, it will be hidden from the masses. There will be no other way.

 

[TomYo689]

That makes a difference. Two very specific and unrelated things.

Young people can die from diseases and stuff. People will eventually get cancer. Unless you want to add more details to the fantasy. People will still die if at a slower rate

 

[Kaitzilla]

People in the Bible achieved very long life and it wasn't a total disaster. Longest was 800 years or so I think.


But ya, it would take centuries of toiling to get the best jobs. In some ways it would be immoral to live that long sure.

 

[BvBPL]

I don't think that the idea that money would not flow as readily if people were immortal establishes that immortality is immoral. I don't think there's a moral duty for money to flow.

I think the claim that an immortal population would create a significant pressure upon the natural resources of the Earth is a stronger argument, but it also isn't unbeatable. Hypothetically, an immortal population could adopt a longer term view of Earthly stewardship.

 

[Zelig]

FWIW, if you eliminated age-related causes of death, life expectancy would be roughly only 1300 years.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Immortal people could be so freaking smart. I claim that the only reason people die stupid is because they haven't lived long enough.
Oh and I think in a society of immortals adultery would begin a lot later. It level of the disadvantage.

 

[Gigaz]

Immortality is quite immoral. Letting someone die even though you could help him is significantly more immoral.
As there is no way to make you personality and mind undestroyable, this is hardly worth discussing. Also, maximum information storage would be somehow be a limit to what an immortal person can be.

An interesting related question would be: If overpopulation is a serious problem in your country, would you promote laws that forbid people to reproduce?

 

[squadbroken]

There would need to be some serious restrictions on what immortals could do before I would consider it acceptable.
At the very least I'd say: you must have no children to qualify, and the immortality process would include permanent sterilization. Political and/or economic restrictions might also be necessary.

 

[Zack]

Who says the entire human population will still be living on Earth at that point? Or that people would still procreate?

 

[warpus]

Have you read The Last Question by Isaac Asimov?

It touches on the problems with immortality.. among other things. It's probably one of the best short stories ever written, at least IMO

 

[dirtyparrot]

The universe is pretty big. Human immortality shouldn't be a problem if we can also do things like fuse hydrogen for energy.

 

[duckstab]

Set aside the population question for the moment. Institutionally, we're just not equipped to deal with a significant number of people living indefinitely. What's an appropriate age for people to start collecting social security? What happens when young people can no longer count on inheriting something someday? What about lifetime judicial appointments? Life sentences?

A lot also depends on how accessible immortality is. Given that access to medical care is already extremely unequal across the world, we have to expect that immortality will not be available to everyone. Maybe even only to a few very wealthy or powerful individuals initially. Think of the potential political chaos that will result when death is no longer the great equalizer.

On the other hand, could humanity not benefit greatly by extending the lives of some of its greatest thinkers and humanitarians? And if it were made broadly available, would we not be more concerned with being responsible stewards of a planet we personally expected to live on for hundreds or thousands of years?

In the end, I don't think it's necessarily unethical in and of itself. But it obviously would raise ethical questions that we heretofore haven't had to deal with.

 

[Joecoolyo]

FWIW, if you eliminated age-related causes of death, life expectancy would be roughly only 1300 years.

Could you expand on this? I'm curious.

 

[timtofly]

Another question would be, "Can immortal people become too unethical?"

 

[Murky]

Even if people could become immortal it's unlikely if everyone would choose to do so. I would expect the elite will have their supplements and make-overs that take them way past a hundred. The treatment would probably be too expensive for the average working person. Now, I could see making a digital copy of your consciousness and uploading into a Matrix like virtual reality that goes on indefinitely.

 

[CocoIsKing28]

Just look at the Elves in Tolkien's world. They never had overpopulation. I think that justifies it enough, right?

 

[Kozmos]

It is if its digital.