Theories on Aging
The relations between aging and death are rather complex. The results of lots of studies display that aging reduces the efficiency of surgical interference, resistance to bacteria, and repair damage. The examination of people aged 30–75 have shown that the effectiveness of lung functioning reduces by 50%, that bones become more fragile and that the immune system that guards the body against infections becomes less capable with age.
Why this worsening in the organism working happens with age is still not clear. Several concepts have been suggested to explain this process. One theory suggests that after the passing of the active period of reproduction, chemical transformations in the body cause the steady misfunctioning of organs and cells. The growth of damages in the organ elements that are required for the creation of new cells of the body leads to death. Such as, it has been revealed that the creation of the genetic material deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is subjected to mistakes with aging. Other theories concerning aging with death describe the negative impact of stresses on the organism and suggest that the creation of unuseful material in the body decreases the ability of the organism to act correctly.
The most convincing arguments on aging relate to the description of one factor or the complex of factors such as the following: hormonal control, limited cell division, gene theory, gene mutation theory, protein cross-linkage theory, and free radical action. In protection of hormonal control, there is the examination that the thymus gland starts shrinking at the period of adolescence, and aging is more rapid for people without a thymus. Another hormonal theory is based on the hypothalamus activity (at the base of the brain), which supervises the secretion of growth hormones in the pituitary gland. It is considered that the hypothalamus either fails in its normal functioning or that it starts making more errors with time, which leads to physiological aging.
The latest theories come from cell and molecular biology. Cells keep dividing only up to the moment of their death. Cells that are taken from embryos or infants tend to divide more than those, which are taken from adults. Therefore, it is considered that this is the basing system of aging — since cells are no more able to divide to renew themselves, a person starts aging and approaching death. Though, most scholars have reached the decision that most cells (except brain and muscle) are able to continue the division process for much longer than the normal life cycle.
Discussion on death and aging
Death and aging are some of the human organism puzzles. Some consider aging as the beginning of the end, some as the end of the beginning. But there are still lots of optimists in our world who consider aging as the new beginning. It is the beginning of another life, full of changes and summing up of the results of the whole life.
It is arguable that aging is negative. From the physical and health angle of the issue, it is rather problematic, as it had been described above. But from the moral and psychological sides, aging is the beginning of the new and often unknown life. But what do we want to have been aged? What do we mean by saying successful aging? Everybody hopes that this life period will characterize our personal experiences of getting older and the experiences of beloved people. Yet, what does it mean to age successfully? Just to live the longest life, or to be able to run marathons at the age of 80? To stay eternally young by appearance, or to save enough money to live leisurely? The MaCArthur Foundation study of Aging n America in 1998 shows that the answer is more complex. According to the surveys, successful aging includes three integral and mutually linked factors: “low risk of illness and illness-related infirmities; high-level mental and physical functioning; and active involvement in life.” In other words, successful aging is a healthy life in all its aspects. But unfortunately, we can not imagine our grandparents in better health and mental conditions than we are. In spite of the fact that some scientists promise to make aging just the scare dream, others argue if aging can be treated. The 50% increase of the longevity which happened in the previous century is in some measure, unfortunately, the result of anti-decease struggle, but not the ant-age one. The genetic modifications are about to solve this problem, but the necessary experiments appeared successful only on worms and flies. Results are also achieved with mammals: Scholars have enlarged mice’s longevity up to 50% by means of genetic modifications.
Frankly speaking, it is rather difficult to believe in such a perspective of the future and imagine the world without aging. If we remove most age-related diseases, such as cancer, and preserve the vitality and energy of the body, we can suppose to live on average more than 1,000. Theoretically, this digit is unlimited. Determining a future typical life longitude of 1,000 years is based on undermining the age-related death in counting the average life span. But Aubrey de Grey, the gerontologist of Cambridge University, believes that individual life expectancy will be 5,000 years in 2100 as he also takes into account not only anti-aging findings but also technology changes and changes in people’s minds in striving to avoid risk and refrain from dangerous activities.
Arguments against life prolongation are no less persuasive than for it. First of all, it is necessary to define what moves humanity to postpone death and what death means. From a biological point of view, death is stipulated by the end of blood circulation, the end of oxygen transportation to organs and tissues, the end of brain activity, and overall organ activity stopping. The conclusion of death can occur legally after breathing, and the heartbeat has stopped, and when the pupils are insensitive to light. Lucretius, the Roman emperor, once told that there is, in fact, nothing horrible in the death of the dead. Of course, if there is no more life after death. If the after-death life exists, it must become a stimulus for an individual to live a dignified life. Otherwise, the after-death life could be worth being afraid of. Lucretius also presumes that in prolonging life, we do not reduce even for a bit the infinity of time that will pass by after our death: “Nor, by prolonging life, do we remove a single moment from the extent of death; we can lessen NOTHING from its reign, or cause that we may be for a less period sunk in non-existence.”
It is argued that up-to-date medical technologies prolong death, but not life. Sometimes it is considered meaningless to prolong the life of a dying person just by reducing his/ her sufferings, but not by eliminating the origins of the disease. Humankind has invented immense medical technologies but has not perceived the moral size of having them.
There is also a paradox that some people, especially the young, strive to look older than they are. Why do they do that? The answer is simple. Older people possess more life experience, and sometimes people have life plans which usually require being older, and the immediate fulfillment of the plans is impossible because of the age. The person who is weirded to death and who is dependable on the life support system only faces the surrounding people at one of the hardest choices, whether end the suffering or keep trying to reduce it.
Moreover, the life prolongation for immense terms such as 1000 years and more will cause enormous demographical crises. Overpopulation, high unemployment, poverty, and hunger with epidemics as a result. It is doubtful that people would desire to live such prolonged life.
Conclusion
In the conclusion of the discussion, it is necessary to say that people strive to postpone death not only because of some fear or belief that death is necessarily bad but because death is the termination of living, gaining some experience. As it is said, the time after one’s death is the time which death disposes of.
References
- Callahan, D. (1994). Aging and the Goals of Medicine. The Hastings Center Report, 24(5), 39
- Clark, W. R. (2002). A Means to an End: The Biological Basis of Aging and Death. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Deats, S. M. & Lenker, L. T. (Eds.). (1999). Aging and Identity: A Humanities Perspective. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
- Hockey, J. L. (1990). Experiences of Death: An Anthropological Account. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
- Magalhaes, J. P. (2003). Winning the War against Aging: Why Die? There May Soon Be Nothing Preventing Great-Grandparents from Being as Agile in Body and Mind as Their Descendants. The Futurist, 37, 48
- Overall, C. (2003). Aging, Death, and Human Longevity: A Philosophical Inquiry. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
- Reid, M (2007) ‘When prolonging life becomes prolonging death. The case of one doctor this week illustrates an agonising dilemma’Times Online, Web.
- Tibbitts, C. & Donahue, W. (Eds.). (1960). Aging in Today’s Society. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.