Question

Is life extension an enhancement? Why or why not? Is it useful? What are the ramifications of this process?

Answer 1

Ans) Life extension is related to a fundamental characteristic, the capability to live. This provides a reason to consider whether considerable life extension differs from other forms of enhancement, such as enhancing physical strength or cognitive capacities, and whether it is reasonable to include it in the human enhancement discussion.

- Enhancement is typically considered as something “extra” whereas priority is given to treatment. However, following this thought, if a person's future is literally dependent on life extension, this could mean that if other healthcare treatments are given priority over life extension, many people might have to live a much shorter life than they would actually like or could have.

- This could lead to societal inequality, especially if decisions are made based on the treatment/enhancement distinction. A lack of life-extending measures in the public sector could result in these services being used by well-off people through private companies and practitioners.

- Even if considerable life extension, and many other forms of human enhancement, may seem like distant and futuristic visions, they should be acknowledged in national and international decision-making in order for us to be aware of possible societal implications and the risks of new technologies. Currently, the European Union (EU) is preparing the introduction of a new directive on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare. This directive enables increased mobility related to healthcare because a citizen can seek healthcare services from any EU country and apply for a reimbursement from his or her own affiliated state. In Finland, for example, the introduction of this new directive required a clear definition of which health services were covered by public funds and which were not, since this has not yet been done comprehensively in the current healthcare system. If considerable life extension measures become available in the near future, many countries will have to define whether or not they belong to the sphere of public healthcare.