The ethics of delayed senescence: a critique of proposed methods of increasing human longevity

Abstract

Scientific researchers and philosophers recently have proposed the exploration of new methods to delay or potentially forestall indefinitely the aging process. At a recent meeting in Cambridge, England, theoretical strategies were proposed that, according to these researchers, could lead to human immortality. In this article the author briefly discusses the prevalent theories of biological aging and reviews the different proposed medical approaches to delay or eliminate aging. He then evaluates the anti-senescence procedures from a Catholic medical-ethical perspective.