If you're in favor of indefinite life extension, what are the biggest myths to bust for skeptics?
If you're in favor of indefinite life extension, what are the biggest myths to bust for skeptics?
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Indefinite life extension would make life boring/meaningless
Indefinite life extension would lead to overpopulation
Indefinite life extension would increase wealth disparities
Indefinite life extension would lead to power consolidation
Indefinite life extension would lead to cultural decay and slowing down of progress

This question is asking about the most common objections to indefinite life extension you encounter that you think are based on a misunderstanding or that you think are otherwise answerable.

Disclaimers:

  1. This question is part of Foresight’s 2023 Vision Weekends to help spark discussion amongst participants, so the phrasing and resolution criteria may be vaguer than I would normally like for this site. Apologies for that. We thought it would still be useful to make the market public to potentially inform other discussions.

  2. If you would to add alternative answers, please do so in the comments!

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8mo

I think we should make everyone opposed to life extension watch this video

1y

Indefinite life extension would make life boring/meaningless

Is this a real thing people think? This is the biggest myth to bust for skeptics? Is there a strong supporting argument somewhere that I should read?

1y

@Sailfish It is a very common argument used by bioethisists and others, yes. I doubt they've really thought it through, so they might not "really think it" in some sense, but they do say it as though they actually believe it.

1y

@Sailfish This is the most common argument people use against life extension. I don't know of any good defense of it, and I don't think there is one.

"I'm not trying to force you to live, I just don't want to be forced to die."

1y

None of the above.

  • "You not wanting to do something is not valid justification for preventing me from doing it."

  • "You would never accept killing people as a means to a positive end in other contexts, so why do you find it acceptable here?"

1y

@IsaacKing This. It's one thing to say that you, personally, would only like to live 80 years, but forcing that preference on all others and claiming you're doing it for the sake of "human dignity" is downright murderous. And yet opponents of life extension have to defend doing so.

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