Slowed ageing, welfare, and population problems.

Area of Science:

• Biogerontology
• Population Studies
• Bioethics

Background:

• Biological research indicates that slowing the ageing process and extending lifespan is achievable in various organisms.
• This raises questions about the potential impact of life extension on human population dynamics and societal welfare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the potential problems of overpopulation and underpopulation arising from life extension technologies.
• To evaluate the validity of these concerns in the context of slowed ageing.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing biological studies on ageing and lifespan extension.
• Theoretical examination of population dynamics under conditions of extended lifespans.
• Critique of assumptions underlying overpopulation and underpopulation arguments.

Main Results:

• Technologies that slow ageing are unlikely to lead to overpopulation, which would decrease average welfare.
• The underpopulation argument, positing too few individuals across time decreasing total welfare, relies on flawed assumptions about life extension.
• Life extension through slowed ageing does not necessarily imply a significant decrease in the number of people existing over time.

Conclusions:

• Concerns about overpopulation and underpopulation present weak arguments against pursuing life extension through slowed ageing.
• The potential benefits of slowed ageing for individual and societal welfare warrant further consideration, independent of population-related anxieties.