Haha, just kidding.


Is it immoral to try to extend human life through medicine?

How would it be immoral unless it was against the patient's will?

Only if you're a Jehova's witness.

Darnit, almost got me to flame your butt off with that title.

I don't think it's immoral since a high number of people already extend human life expectancy naturally.
My grandma is 97 years old.

I should have clarified. Is it immoral to extend the average human life? For example, the average life span has increased from 50 to 80 in the past century.

Why would it be immoral to extend life?

If it is approved by the subject, I don't see the problem.

Some Religious fanatics might get pissed about it but I don't think it's immoral.

Uh, no, no it isn't.

I think some people don't fully understand the question.

If you believe it is moral to extend life, then is it immoral not to do everything you can to extend human life?

Quote from Ash

Is it immoral to try to extend human life through medicine?

That depends. It is immoral not to try to generate the greatest total length of wanted life. If the medicine is ridiculously expensive then it may be much better to try to provide clean water to places in Africa where people die of cholera. Also, same example, it's better to provide clean water than cholera medicine.

It's not extending life, it's allowing human life to reach it's full potential. I don't see any moral problems with that. Dudeman, you're asking a completely different question.

I don't think it's immoral, because it's simply reaching the full potential of the life you can live. In no way could that possibly offend anyone. Unless they wanted you to die, which is a completely different topic. Besides, why would anyone want to live for only 23 years?

The reason I made this thread was that I was in my biology II class, which is filled with morons, and we were in groups. Each group was given a topic related to the ethical ramifications of biotechnology, and the group I was in was given this question. I thought it was obvious that there was nothing wrong with trying to extend human life, but a girl in my group decried my opinion, claiming that it was immoral because it would cause people to use up resources that they would otherwise not use up. The counter-arguments were obvious, but I decided to humor her because she was loud, stubborn, and absurdly pessimistic.

Quote from Zed

That depends. It is immoral not to try to generate the greatest total length of wanted life. If the medicine is ridiculously expensive then it may be much better to try to provide clean water to places in Africa where people die of cholera. Also, same example, it's better to provide clean water than cholera medicine.

The fact that something could be better spent elsewhere, doesn't make it immoral to spend it on good somewhere else. It's not immoral to help an old woman across the street, even if you could have spent the same time teaching Chinese kids English.
If everyone focused solely on the biggest problem in the world, all the others would be neglected, and everything would go to hell.

yes, it's against god. anyone using anything to prevent their own demise is going against gods will.