[ExI] Striving for Objectivity Across Different Cultures

[Damien Broderick]

At 11:31 AM 8/21/2008 +0200, Stefano wrote:

>Say that I have a bioluddite agreeing to an apparently banal and
>common-sense stipulation that the ability to live is absolutely better
>than death... that life is an uncondtional goal.

But I think most of those opposed to radical life extension are 
likely to be of the opinion that life is a testing ground with some 
blessed postmortem condition as its true goal. Life is a "Vale of 
Tears" we must suffer through in order to improve ourselves, or cast 
ourselves on god's mercy, or learn to abandon attachment, so we can 
attain some sort of salvation unavailable in the contingent, material 
realm. Trying to live longer than "Nature/god means us to" is 
impious, even blasphemous, and thwarts the plan, or is precisely the 
kind of desperate grasping attachment that maintains our misery.

In other words, most opponents will *not* regard healthy life as an 
unconditional good. And they have their reasons for this that can't 
be budged just by saying, "Yes, but look, life is better than death!" 
Not if death is the pathway to heaven, or another chance to start 
fresh, or blessed surcease.

Damien Broderick