The Ethics of Cryonics: Is it Immoral to be Immortal? [Hardcover]

Cryonicsalso known as cryopreservation or cryosuspensionis the preservation of legally dead individuals at ultra-low temperatures. Those who undergo this procedure hope that future technology will not only succeed in reviving them, but also cure them of the condition that led to their demise. In this sense, some hope that cryopreservation will allow people to continue living indefinitely. This book discusses the moral concerns of cryonics, both as a medical procedure and as an intermediate step toward life extension. In particular, Minerva analyses the moral issues surrounding cryonics-related techniques (including the hypothetical cryosuspension of fetuses as an alternative to abortion) by focusing on how they might impact the individuals who undergo cryosuspension, as well as society at large. 

Part I: Cryonics as an Ethical Issue

1. Introduction

2. Pausing Death

3. Resuming Life

Part II: Cryonics as a Step Toward Immortality 

4. The Death Conundrum

5. The Immortality Conundrum

Part III: Alternative Uses of Cryonics 

6. Cryothanasia

7. Cryosuspension of Pregnancy

Francesca Minerva is FWO Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Ghent, Belgium. She has previously worked at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and she collaborates with various universities. Her main area of research is bioethics.