Dostatek czasu - Wydłużenie ludzkiego życia z perspektywy Heideggera
Sufficient time - Technical extension of human life from the view of Martin Heidegger's philosophy

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the possibility of extending human lifespan by means of a future technology, its anticipated consequences and impact on our lives. Most of the considerations included here are based upon Martin Heidegger's reflection on time, death and authenticity. Against many futurologists and scientists, I argue that the extension of human lifespan would be neither as revolutionary as some people assume, nor desirable. Firstly, I point out that time is a highly subjective phenomenon, which can be (and very often is) experienced in a nonlinear way. Consequently, the extension of our lifespan can rather distort our subjective perception of time, than actually let us gain as much of it, as the mere numbers (that is the objective categories) suggest. Secondly, I argue that the desire to live longer is strictly connected with our fear of death, and can be seen as an attempt to escape from it, which, according to Heidegger, foster inauthenticity. In the last part I briefly focus on irrationality of technology, pointing out that it very often advances without the sake on some vital philosophical questions, that is without any solid justifications and well-defined goals.

• Details
• Contents