The Pros And Cons Of Aging

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As we age, we become more prone to a wide array of diseases, such as cancer and heart disease and treating these diseases most definitely helps us live longer but they do not seem to halt the natural aging process that eventually causes our bodies to weaken and wither away. New research suggests that, like several biological processes, the aging process could also be controlled and this could lead us to live much longer lives. However, commoners and bioethicists alike are often concerned about the bioethical issues pertaining to the life extension phenomena. They argue that the quality of life may be compromised in exchange for longevity and this may be due to intervention in the …show more content…

Life extension also presents unique predicaments which can have a direct impact on society such as, people would certainly benefit from the more experienced and knowledgeable labor force, but this would also cause young, willing people to be bereft of certain opportunities. One of the more persistent problems of life extension would be overpopulation because more of the population living together would result in congestion and this would lead to an eventual decline in our standard of living. Moreover, the issue of life extension also aggravates the situation of millions of people around …show more content…

However, this presents another dilemma. Hindering the development of life extension technologies based on these grounds would mean that those who are capable of affording it, would be deprived of this opportunity. Nevertheless, have we identified what a disease is in the first place? Even though natural aging causes the body to be less immune to certain diseases, many would argue that aging itself is not a disease as we all get older naturally. Therefore, many feel that intervention in the aging process is a violation of the role of nature in all of this. Life extension technology is still at an early stage, therefore not all of its issues have been pointed out. If slowing aging requires the use of gene therapy or stem cells, then the ethical issues regarding those topics would also need be addressed. Also, it is still unknown whether life extension would be effective if taken during adulthood or childhood and if so, the answer to whether parents have the right to make such a drastic decision for their child beckons. While still farfetched, it is still not too late to consider the pros and cons of this technology. How fast the ethical issues surrounding life extension are addressed and whether or not there is a general consensus to further the development of antiaging

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