Age and Death: A Defence of Gradualism

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Death
• Bioethics
• Moral Philosophy

Background:

• Standard 'comparativist' views deem death bad due to lost future goods.
• Jeff McMahan's 'gradualist' view posits death's badness depends on lost goods and cognitive development at death.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine and refute two criticisms of gradualism.
• To develop and address a novel criticism regarding gradualism's relation of morbidity and mortality.
• To provide implications for healthcare policy decisions.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of existing arguments against gradualism.
• Development of a new philosophical argument concerning gradualism.
• Examination of the implications of gradualism for health economics and policy.

Main Results:

• The two prominent criticisms of gradualism were found to misinterpret McMahan's work.
• A novel criticism regarding the relationship between morbidity and mortality within gradualism was presented and refuted.
• The analysis yields implications for prioritizing healthcare interventions for the very young.

Conclusions:

• Gradualism, despite challenges, offers a nuanced view of the badness of death.
• The ethical evaluation of death should consider developmental and cognitive factors.
• Healthcare policy should carefully weigh life-saving versus disease-mitigating interventions for infants and children.