Sometimes the whole public debate around life extension, anti-aging, healthspan etc etc gets too complicated. We need to keep it simple. Otherwise we are losing audience in the nuances. It’s all about freedom. Freedom from death. Freedom from systemic decay. If you want to die “gracefully” with age, god will bless you. But the rest of us would like to have freedom in choosing how and when we die.
Freedom is the essence of humanity
Before modern medicine, we did not have the freedom to choose how we dealt with illnesses and injuries. We were at the mercy of nature, and countless lives were lost to diseases that are now easily treatable. In the past, many people did not have the freedom to choose their profession, being bound by their family's trade or societal expectations. In this view, everything we do culturally is in service of maximizing freedom. Life is about increasing freedom. Freedom gives us agency to choose. A rock does not have the freedom to decide its path, but a bird does. A person living in an oppressive regime can not express themselves but people in a free society can pursue their passions. There are species that still occupy ecological niches that they have been in for millions of years. But we have been continuously evolving and adapting at multiple levels such as genomic, neurological, social, and technological. Both evolutionarily and culturally, the quest for freedom defines humanity. To oppose life extension is to stand against the very essence of what makes us human.
Freedom is bipartisan
Interestingly, this debate mirrors the discussion around abortion in the US. Pro-choice advocates champion bodily autonomy, while pro-life supporters prioritize the right to life. In this context, only one philosophy is both pro-choice and pro-life. The opposing view is anti-choice and pro-death, denying people the right to extend their lives and make decisions about their own mortality.
Freedom does not come easy
So are you pro-freedom or pro-death? Remember, freedom never came easy and required big movements and innovation. So let’s work passionately to make it possible.