Philosophy class: The start-ups seeking a cure for old age

This article, picked by a teacher with suggested questions, is part of the Financial Times free schools access programme. Details/registration here.

Specification:

• Moral philosophy: Applied ethics

Click to view the article below and then answer the questions:

The start-ups seeking a cure for old age

• What ethical issues does the article raise?

• Even if billionaires are funding research into curing ageing for selfish reasons, could such funding be considered praiseworthy?

• Would immortality be boring?

• How might immortality affect your character, desires and relationships with others?

• Bernard Williams believed that immortality was not desirable. Imagine being immortal. Would you become either bored of yourself or so changed that you are no longer the ‘you’ that desired immortality in the first place?

Jack Robertson, Queen Elizabeth’s School Barnet