11/01/24

Case: Created by Philosophy Club member Molly Fahy 

Cryonics is the freezing and preservation of people’s remains in the hopes that, eventually, technology will evolve enough to revive them and give them the chance to live for many more years,potentially forever. While the chance of cryonics succeeding is low due to factors like it being dependent on cryonics companies surviving for an unknown period of time, these potential technologies actually coming to pass, and other issues, it does have a non-zero possibility for success. Those against the practice argue that companies offer a false hope at a high cost (costs of being cryogenically frozen range from 30,000-200,000 dollars), and that significant money and resources can be more ethically spent elsewhere. Proponents of it argue that even a small chance to significantly prolong one’s lifespan is worth the money. 

Debate Question: Is cryonic preservation ethical? 

Discussion Questions:

1. Is “going against nature” and delaying/stopping death a good thing? 

2. At what point do the odds of something positive occurring become so low that effort and money are better spent somewhere else? 

3. Cryonics companies, unsurprisingly, tend to portray the possibility of success optimistically. Is this ethical given their high costs as well as the intense emotions involved? 

4. Is it ethical for parents to sign their kids up for cryonics?

5. What is the best outcome for after death? (ie buried/cremation, organ donor, cyonics)