E-Book Overview
With the help of medicine and technology we are living longer than ever before. As human life spans have increased, the moral and political issues surrounding longevity have become more complex. Should we desire to live as long as possible? What are the social ramifications of longer lives? How does a longer life span change the way we think about the value of our lives and about death and dying? Christine Overall offers a clear and intelligent discussion of the philosophical and cultural issues surrounding this difficult and often emotionally charged issue. Her book is unique in its comprehensive presentation and evaluation of the arguments--both ancient and contemporary--for and against prolonging life. It also proposes a progressive social policy for responding to dramatic increases in life expectancy. Writing from a feminist perspective, Overall highlights the ways that our biases about race, class, and gender have affected our views of elderly people and longevity, and her policy recommendations represent an effort to overcome these biases. She also covers the arguments surrounding the question of the "duty to die" and includes a provocative discussion of immortality. After judiciously weighing the benefits and the risks of prolonging human life, Overall persuasively concludes that the length of life does matter and that its duration can make a difference to the quality and value of our lives. Her book will be an essential guide as we consider our social responsibilities, the meaning of human life, and the prospects of living longer.
E-Book Content
Aging, Death, and Human Longevity Aging, Death, and Human Longevity A Philosophical Inquiry Christine Overall UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley Los Angeles London University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2003 by the Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Overall, Christine, 1949– Aging, death, and human longevity : a philosophical inquiry / Christine Overall. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–520-23298-4 (alk. paper) 1. Aging. 2. Longevity. 3. Terminal care. I. Title. RA564.8 .095 305.26—dc21 2003 2002001861 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper used in this publication is both acid-free and totally chlorine-free (TCF). It meets the minimum requirements of ANSI /NISO Z39.48–1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).8 For my “big sister,” Kathy Silver CONTENTS Acknowledgments ix 1. Introduction: “Death Twitches My Ear” 1 2. “Remember You Must Die”: Arguments against Prolonging Human Life 23 3. Age Rationing and “Generational Cleansing”: Evaluating the “Duty to Die” 64 4. “One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer”: Arguments in Favor of Prolonging Human Life 95 5. “From Here to Eternity”: Is It Good to Live Forever? 124 6. “The Death of Death”: Immortality, Identity, and Selfhood 155 7. Personal and Policy Implications: “Rage against the Dying of the Light”? 183 Notes 221 References 239 Index 255 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This has been an exciting book to write. I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity of talking to wonderful people, both in formal academic contexts and in informal conversation, about human longevity issues. For their questions, comments, and suggestions I am grateful to the audiences at the Queen’s University Department of Philosophy Colloquium Series (1999, 2000, and 2001), the Royal Society Kingston Seminar (Queen’s University, 1999), the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for Women in Philosophy ( McMaster University, 1999), the Champlain Society (Champlain College, Trent University, 1999), the Kingston Later Li