Page 95 - Petelin, Ana. 2020. Zdravje delovno aktivne populacije / Health of the Working-Age Population. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 95
litarian distribution of health maintenance using technologies ohranjanje in krepitev zdravja | maintaining and promoting health
for life extension
Martin Lipovšek
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Aškerčeva cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Background and purpose: Background of our paper is the thesis that, under
certain conditions, life-extension medical technologies should be available to
all citizens through free public health care. The purpose of the proposed the-
sis is multifaceted. First, by offering life extension, which we define as medical
and pharmacological therapies that work against the biological aging process
and some of which can be expected in the near future, we would maintain and
strengthen the health of the population - including the working population. As
a result of these interventions in the body, this population would be more vi-
tal in old age and could thus remain active for a longer period of time. Second-
ly, prolonging life is something that the majority of the population wants - to be
healthy and live longer. This thesis can be firmly supported by empirical socio-
logical research. And third, if prolonging life under certain conditions, the main
condition of which is recalculated financial eligibility, would be part of public
health (and not just what only the rich can buy), it would satisfy our idea of s o-
cial justice as we can perceive it through egalitarian political-philosophical the-
ories.
Presentation of the content: For the above thesis it is possible to present ar-
guments for and against. If we rely on the tradition of the liberal philosophi-
cal position represented by John Rawls, we can defend the position present-
ed above. The main argument here is the application of the veil of ignorance to
the concrete question of the fair distribution of medical devices. But there are
also arguments from some other ethical and political-philosophical traditions.
The concept of justice in prolonging life has been extensively written about by
dr. Adrian Bunn, to whom we also refer in the article.
Conclusions: With the expected arrival of life extension, new questions open
up and new ethical and political-philosophical dilemmas emerge. One of these
new questions is whether or not to provide some of these new technologies
to all citizens to choose freely. The liberal political-philosophical tradition not
only allows such new technologies, but under certain conditions places an eth-
ical requirement on society that these technologies are accessible to all, not
just to the rich.
Key words: public health, life extension, philosophy
93
for life extension
Martin Lipovšek
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Aškerčeva cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Background and purpose: Background of our paper is the thesis that, under
certain conditions, life-extension medical technologies should be available to
all citizens through free public health care. The purpose of the proposed the-
sis is multifaceted. First, by offering life extension, which we define as medical
and pharmacological therapies that work against the biological aging process
and some of which can be expected in the near future, we would maintain and
strengthen the health of the population - including the working population. As
a result of these interventions in the body, this population would be more vi-
tal in old age and could thus remain active for a longer period of time. Second-
ly, prolonging life is something that the majority of the population wants - to be
healthy and live longer. This thesis can be firmly supported by empirical socio-
logical research. And third, if prolonging life under certain conditions, the main
condition of which is recalculated financial eligibility, would be part of public
health (and not just what only the rich can buy), it would satisfy our idea of s o-
cial justice as we can perceive it through egalitarian political-philosophical the-
ories.
Presentation of the content: For the above thesis it is possible to present ar-
guments for and against. If we rely on the tradition of the liberal philosophi-
cal position represented by John Rawls, we can defend the position present-
ed above. The main argument here is the application of the veil of ignorance to
the concrete question of the fair distribution of medical devices. But there are
also arguments from some other ethical and political-philosophical traditions.
The concept of justice in prolonging life has been extensively written about by
dr. Adrian Bunn, to whom we also refer in the article.
Conclusions: With the expected arrival of life extension, new questions open
up and new ethical and political-philosophical dilemmas emerge. One of these
new questions is whether or not to provide some of these new technologies
to all citizens to choose freely. The liberal political-philosophical tradition not
only allows such new technologies, but under certain conditions places an eth-
ical requirement on society that these technologies are accessible to all, not
just to the rich.
Key words: public health, life extension, philosophy
93
