Aging and the Ethics of Longevity Science

Abstract A century of experimental science has revealed that the rate of biological aging is malleable, influenced by genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and pharmacological factors. Translational gerontology is ushering in a new ideal for longevity science, “rate control.” Unlike disease control, which has increased survival time by suppressing causes of premature death, rate control aspires to increase healthspan and compress morbidity in late life by slowing the rate of aging through nonpharmacological (healthy environments, lifestyle) and potential pharmacological (geroprotective drugs) interventions. Aging and the Ethics of Longevity Science examines the ethical and societal implications of population aging and longevity science. Dispensing with frames that perpetuate the “Frankensteinification” of translational gerontology, philosopher Colin Farrelly encourages instead an understanding of the societal significance of longevity science predicated on wisdom-inquiry science and responsible biology.