Ethical Implications of Prolonged Lives

This article explores the scientific prospect and ethical implications of prolonging the human lifespan through genetic or other types of biomedical interventions. It suggests that when a potential scientific development raises profound theological, ethical, or social issues, it is preferable to ass...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chapman, Audrey R. 1942- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage Publ. 2004
In: Theology today
Year: 2004, Volume: 60, Issue: 4, Pages: 479-496
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:This article explores the scientific prospect and ethical implications of prolonging the human lifespan through genetic or other types of biomedical interventions. It suggests that when a potential scientific development raises profound theological, ethical, or social issues, it is preferable to assess the implications in advance, in order to decide whether and how to proceed. The analysis underscores that interventions to increase average life-expectancies in an already aging society pose economic, health, and environmental burdens that societies would be hard-pressed to sustain. The required resource-transfers would also have a profoundly negative impact on intra-and inter-generational equity.
ISSN:2044-2556
Contains:Enthalten in: Theology today
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/004057360406000403