Can We Live Forever?

A Sociological and Moral Inquiry

By (author) Bryan S. Turner

Publication date:

01 July 2009

Publisher

Anthem Press

Dimensions:

216x140mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781843317807

‘Can We Live Forever?’ addresses the modern debate about the Life Extension Project, the by-product of revolutionary developments (actual and predicted) in bio-medicine, transplantation, cosmetic surgery, genetic counselling, stem cell research, cryonics, cloning and so forth, which cumulatively promise to deliver eternal life—or at least 'prolongevity'.

1. Longevity and the Population Debate; 2. The Social Utopia of Human Perfection; 3. Ancient and Modern Techniques of Longevity; 4. The Political Economy of Ageing; 5. The Moral and Spiritual Character of Old Age; 6. Vulnerability and the Ethic of Care; 7. Towards a New Paradigm of Ageing; 8. The Aesthetics of Ageing; References; Index

‘The range and depth of Bryan Turner’s writing is of international renown and in ‘Can We Live Forever?’ he attempts to provide both a sociological analysis of life extension and an unpacking of the moral and ethical implications of the technological advances that promise ‘immortality’. […] It makes fascinating reading.’ —‘Sociology of Health & Illness’