Aging, Death and Human Longevity: A Philosophical Inquiry

Overall, Christine; Christine Overall

ISBN 10: 0520232984 / ISBN 13: 9780520232983

Published by The University of California Press, Berkeley & Los Angeles, CA, London, 2003

About this Item

264 pp. Flawless book and dj.

Seller Inventory # 4ivDe0008

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Aging, Death and Human Longevity: A Philosophical Inquiry
• Publisher: The University of California Press, Berkeley & Los Angeles, CA, London
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0520232984
• ISBN 13: 9780520232983
• Binding: Decorative Cloth
• Illustrator: Still From Louise Noguchi "Crack" (Jacket Art) Nola Burger (Jacket Design) Bernard Clark (Author Photo)
• Condition: Like New
• Dust Jacket Condition: Like New
• Seller catalogs:
  • Academic, Scholarly, Research
  • Social Studies & Sciences, Sociology, Social Work
  • Geriatrics

About this title

Synopsis

With the help of medicine and technology we are living longer than ever before. As human life spans have increased, the moral and political issues surrounding longevity have become more complex. Should we desire to live as long as possible? What are the social ramifications of longer lives? How does a longer life span change the way we think about the value of our lives and about death and dying? Christine Overall offers a clear and intelligent discussion of the philosophical and cultural issues surrounding this difficult and often emotionally charged issue. Her book is unique in its comprehensive presentation and evaluation of the arguments―both ancient and contemporary―for and against prolonging life. It also proposes a progressive social policy for responding to dramatic increases in life expectancy.

Writing from a feminist perspective, Overall highlights the ways that our biases about race, class, and gender have affected our views of elderly people and longevity, and her policy recommendations represent an effort to overcome these biases. She also covers the arguments surrounding the question of the "duty to die" and includes a provocative discussion of immortality. After judiciously weighing the benefits and the risks of prolonging human life, Overall persuasively concludes that the length of life does matter and that its duration can make a difference to the quality and value of our lives. Her book will be an essential guide as we consider our social responsibilities, the meaning of human life, and the prospects of living longer.

About the Author

Christine Overall is Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. She is author of Thinking Like a Woman: Personal Life and Political Ideas (2001), A Feminist I: Reflections from Academia (1998), and Human Reproduction: Principles, Practices, Policies (1993), among other books.