In this blog post, we will consider from a philosophical perspective whether the possibility of eternal life through science and technology will lead to true happiness.
In the past 100 years, the average human lifespan has increased by more than 30 years. This is thanks to the discovery of antibiotics such as penicillin and the development of new drugs. Thanks to the dazzling progress of modern medicine, the child mortality rate has dropped from 33% to less than 5% in just two centuries. Humans have also uncovered the structure of DNA, which has helped us understand many aspects of life that were previously shrouded in mystery. Advances in genetic engineering have allowed humans to manipulate the characteristics of the organisms they will be born as and to adjust the abilities of those who have already been born. Humans are getting closer and closer to the realm of the gods. If so, what impact will science and technology have on humans? If humanity can achieve eternal life thanks to such science and technology, will humans be happier? I don’t think that humans will be happier just because they achieve eternal life. Of course, I do not deny the fact that human life has become more convenient thanks to science and technology. However, I do not think that eternal life will contribute positively to happiness. The reason is as follows.
First, this is true when we consider the nature of the emotion of happiness. We can look at happiness from the perspective of Aristotle to define it. The Nicomachean Ethics is a book that Aristotle wrote to his beloved son about “how to live happily.” In this book, Aristotle says that happiness is “a perspective on life” or “an adverb, not a noun.” If happiness itself becomes the ultimate purpose of life, then the money, honor, pleasure, and love that we pursue do not satisfy the conditions of true happiness. This is because these things do not give complete satisfaction in themselves. A person who has earned money does not become happy or achieve complete satisfaction in themselves, but immediately pursues other values such as honor or pleasure. This proves that these conditions are not true happiness. On the other hand, happiness as a “perspective or direction of looking at life” means doing something “happily.” Economic activities to earn money can be done with a “happy” mind, and the attitude of life that makes one feel happy even when spending time with a loved one, such as saying “I’m happy because I loved him/her so much,” even after parting with a loved one, is happiness. If we define happiness in this way, we can consider whether humanity, which will achieve eternal life through science and technology, will become happier. Just as money cannot buy happiness, eternal life through science and technology will not be easily achieved. Happiness is determined by one’s mindset, and in this respect, humans can be happy even if they are imperfect beings who have no money and must die.
Of course, one can argue against Aristotle’s view of happiness. The philosopher Epicurus proposed the concept of “ataraxia,” which states that there is an absolute way to happiness. Ataraxia is the state of equanimity of a soul without suffering. Epicurus divided pleasure into two types: physical pleasure and mental pleasure. He said that physical pleasure causes pain when it is excessive, so it is necessary to minimize it, and he argued for the relative superiority of mental pleasure. Epicurus believed that the state of ataraxia is the secret to absolute happiness that applies universally to everyone. However, it is premature to claim that there is an absolute recipe for happiness that works for everyone. This is because people have different ways of living and, accordingly, different ways of living happily.
On the other hand, if we consider it from the perspective of one of the characteristics of humans, which is forgetfulness and adaptation, we can predict that the impact of eternal life on human happiness will be limited. Let’s think about when penicillin was first discovered. It has been less than 100 years since the discovery of antibiotics and the immune principles that formed the basis of vaccines. Thanks to the invention of antibiotics and vaccines, we are safer than ever from microbial threats such as smallpox, measles, and tuberculosis. However, humans soon learned that microorganisms could develop resistance to antibiotics, and declared war on new microorganisms once again. The development of medical technology has opened up new horizons for the treatment of leukemia, cancer, and AIDS, which were considered incurable diseases in the past, but the resulting sense of happiness or relief was only temporary. With each scientific invention, humans leave joy behind and move toward a new goal again. This is to save humanity from more dangers. Humans quickly become dissatisfied and struggle to adapt to new environments and achieve other accomplishments. Thanks to this trait, humans have made tremendous progress from a species of weak primates. However, in light of the constantly changing human being with endless desires, even if humans achieve eternal life, they will not be free from desire and dissatisfaction. Will humans who achieve eternal life strive to gain other abilities? For example, flying has been a long-cherished desire of mankind. According to the Bible, mankind built the Tower of Babel in an attempt to reach the sky in the distant past, and later invented the airplane to indirectly achieve this. Considering this human characteristic, mankind, having gained eternal life, will once again spend time in dissatisfaction in order to acquire new abilities that have never existed before.
There are also things that are more beautiful because they are finite. If happiness is related to one’s attitude toward life, and a happy life is simply ‘living well,’ then the process of feeling the beauty of life and realizing its preciousness will also contribute to happiness. If humans were to achieve eternal life, the preciousness of life would be halved. The movie In Time tells the story of people in a world where time has monetary value. In this movie, the rich can buy time with money and enjoy a life close to eternal life, while the poor can barely extend their lives by selling their labor. Hamilton, a millionaire who can enjoy eternal life, confesses to Will, the poor protagonist, that “even if the body does not age, the mind feels worn out,” and then commits suicide. On the other hand, the main character, who is poor and lives every minute of every day, answers Hamilton’s question, “What would you do if you had as much time as I do?” with “I would never waste it.”
In this respect, Heidegger’s philosophy, which explored death and existence, sends us a meaningful message. Humans, who are imperfect beings, long for an immortal life, but also value their finite time and try to fill it with something worthwhile. Life is more valuable and precious to humans because it is finite. If life were to lose its finiteness, the value of life and the happiness it brings would also decrease.
