The Distaste that Dare Not Speak Its Name
by Aubrey de Grey
December 14th, 2007
Diana Schaub’s latest contribution begins with an example of something frequently seen in the writings of conservatives when on
the ropes: a retreat from disapproval to mere withholding of approval, combined with an admonition of opponents for having made
the accusation of disapproval in the first place. Let us be quite clear: in her reaction essay Schaub states, and I quote, “I can’t
shake the conviction that the achievement of a 1,000-year lifespan would produce a dystopia.” It is quite hard for me to distinguish
this from a call to stop research that would bring such lifespans about. If Schaub is now persuaded that such a world has sufficient
potential merit that those who desire it should indeed be allowed to hasten its arrival, I am delighted. But if that is the case, she should own up to the fact that this is a bona fide shift from her previously declared position.
