In this blog post, I’ll explore whether humanity would truly become happier if it achieved eternal life through science and technology, drawing on various philosophical perspectives and personal experiences.
The Possibility of Eternal Life — The Emergence of Science and Technology and Its Feasibility
Looking back at human history, the longing for eternal life has existed for a very long time. Qin Shi Huang searched in vain for the elixir of life, the Egyptian pharaohs built pyramids to ensure eternal life after death, and religions have often used the promise of eternal life in the afterlife as a means of persuasion. The motivation is clear: the expectation that living longer would provide the time to accomplish one’s goals and, by distancing oneself from the uncertainty of death, allow one to enjoy life more fully in the present.
While immortality was once considered merely a figment of the imagination, the rapid advancements in science and technology in the 21st century have brought what was once only possible in movies or novels closer to reality. For example, with active research into creating artificial organs using stem cell technology and reversing the aging process, the idea of “keeping the human body young” is no longer entirely unrealistic. Even if it cannot be realized immediately due to human rights and administrative issues, from a technical standpoint, eternal life is no longer entirely impossible.
Against this backdrop, a natural question arises: If people were to achieve eternal life, would they truly become happier? As this once-vague fantasy takes on the possibility of becoming reality, we are led to rethink the very nature of happiness.
The Definition of Happiness and Philosophical Debates
The concept of happiness is highly abstract and subjective. While the dictionary definition is roughly “a sense of contentment derived from feeling sufficient satisfaction and joy in life,” the essence of happiness varies from person to person. Therefore, there is no single, definitive answer to the question, “Would we be happier if we had eternal life?”
The philosopher Heidegger, on the other hand, believed that eternal life actually hinders happiness. He argued that because death imposes a temporal limit on life, humans are motivated to live that limited time more earnestly and meaningfully. Conversely, he contended that if time were infinite, our sense of urgency and attachment to life would diminish, making it difficult to live a meaningful life.
However, I believe Heidegger’s explanation alone does not fully account for happiness. I believe we should not view happiness solely as the fulfillment of desires but must also acknowledge a “higher-order happiness” on another level. Buddhism emphasizes that to attain true happiness, one must let go of all desires and achieve enlightenment. The perspective is that as possessions and attachments increase, so do the things we must worry about, ultimately distancing us from happiness.
I can also relate to this perspective from my own personal experience. I collect jerseys from a particular soccer team, and at first, I felt great joy every time I bought a new one. However, at some point, I developed an obsession that I “must buy one every year,” and I found myself frantically searching for them even on the secondhand market. At that moment, it suddenly occurred to me that I would have been much more at peace if I hadn’t started collecting them in the first place. This experience shows that a state of “zero”—having no possessions—can be more comfortable than accumulating more and more.
One counterargument raised by some proponents of eternal life is that “if we lived forever, we would have even more things we want to do, making it harder to control our desires.” However, Epicurus argued that “ataraxia (detachment from desire)” is what brings true pleasure. This concept aligns with the Stoic idea of “apatheia” (emotional detachment), which holds that when one possesses only what is necessary, excessive desire brings nothing but suffering.
In fact, when we look at people who have renounced worldly success and left society to live as ascetics, we often see them enjoying great peace of mind with very little. Eternal life, on the other hand, could actually increase an individual’s opportunity to let go of desires and attain ataraxia, precisely because it provides ample time—this is the positive potential of eternal life as I see it.
Emptiness, Enlightenment, and Concluding Reflections
On the one hand, I wonder if eternal life might actually evoke feelings of futility, boredom, and emptiness more frequently, thereby distancing us from happiness. However, once one reaches the state of ataraxia or liberation, even such emotions are transcended. This is because the very fact of feeling emptiness or boredom is a sign that one is still bound by desire and emotion.
Although the daily lives of spiritual practitioners are repetitive and monotonous, they live their lives without complaint. This signifies a state in which one is not swayed by emotional fluctuations or external stimuli. If given sufficient time through eternal life, individuals would have more opportunities to discipline their will and practice letting go of greed. Ultimately, this could increase the likelihood that more people will attain a higher level of happiness.
Of course, humans are, by nature, beings filled with desire and a thirst for achievement. This drive for achievement has also been the driving force behind the advancement of civilization. Therefore, it is reasonable to question, “Can humans truly abandon all greed and attain enlightenment?” Since no one has yet attained eternal life or achieved perfect enlightenment, it is difficult to give a definitive answer.
Nevertheless, one thing can be surmised: despite the limitations of their finite lifespans, humans have achieved a great deal simply by setting their minds to it. The history of launching space probes and developing technologies to create or extend life within the brief span of our existence proves this. If given an infinite amount of time, humans would have a very real possibility of learning to master their inner selves, reducing their desires, and cultivating themselves to attain ataraxia.
In conclusion, if immortality is achieved through science and technology, it may not have much to do with happiness when judged solely by the criteria of simple pleasure or the accumulation of possessions. However, by providing ample time and opportunities to practice letting go of desire, immortality would increase the likelihood that more people would approach a higher level of happiness—namely, detachment and liberation. Nevertheless, given human nature, it is uncertain whether everyone would make such a choice, and there is still no definitive answer to this question.
