The idea of progress: The quest for eternal youth and immortality

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different strategies and consider that life extension is possible to reach immortality.

However, this quest of immortality poses a number of questions from an ethical point of view.

Genetic engineering, for example, could be used to change physical appearance and even improve physical capabilities and mental faculties such as memory and intelligence. Without any regulation, there is a high risk to have a misuse of these new methods.

Immortality, living forever, has always been an ambition and goal for humans. If this happens would it be right for us to go ahead and do it? There would be immense consequences such as population problems (overpopulation), possibly great expense and inequality as some are able to take advantage of the new technology and others cannot.

The movie “Self/Less” illustrates very well this ethical question – immortality for the rich!

In this science fiction thriller, a wealthy man dying from cancer undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man.

The movie shows the difficulties associated to this transformation where the wealthy man loses all his life and is faced to the difficulties from the young man. It illustrates also that new technology can be misused.

In conclusion, all the innovations related to life extension that are in place for decades and under development for a near future have or will have a positive impact for the development of the human being and thus, allow him to have a better life. However, sometimes, these innovations can lead to negative consequences or at least pose a number of ethical questions.

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