Would you take an immortality serum made from victims?

Discuss the February 2017 Book of the Month, The Diary of an Immortal by David J Castello.
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Gravy
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Re: Would you take an immortality serum made from victims?

Post by Gravy »

gali wrote:
Gravy wrote:
I don't see much of a difference (not including the circumstances of death) between this and organ donation, except the dead individuals permission.

There is a big difference as not only they had no say in the matter, they were tortured and maimed while alive.
I understand that. Basically, I'm just saying that, if it were me, I would hope that something good could come out of it. :tiphat:
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Post by gali »

Gravy wrote:
gali wrote:
Gravy wrote:
I don't see much of a difference (not including the circumstances of death) between this and organ donation, except the dead individuals permission.

There is a big difference as not only they had no say in the matter, they were tortured and maimed while alive.
I understand that. Basically, I'm just saying that, if it were me, I would hope that something good could come out of it. :tiphat:
I see. :tiphat:
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Post by MarisaRose »

Jasmine M Wardiya wrote:I think it's fine to say studies should be done within the constraints of ethics and that's definitely something that should be done going forward, but saying that after the fact isn't going to save the victims of the time. Should we disregard research because it wasn't done ethically? Yes, it's a moral outcry but throwing away anything that was discovered by that feels like wasting what they lost. I wouldn't like it, certainly, but if it could potentially help the people of today I'd probably still consider it.

In regards to immortality, I'd like to say no, but who knows how I'd feel having it physically in front of my face. But don't want immortality with a clear, rational mind, at least. Then again, I've read books where they don't until they're dying - and then immortality dances in front of their face. A very different situation then.
I think you make a really interesting point! My first instinct was to say no, I could, under no circumstances, be able to take an immortality serum made from victims. But I liked your thoughtful response and no I am torn. It would be hard to put aside the incredibly unethical way in which the serum was created, but at the same time, as you state, would it be worth disregarding the research completely if it could potentially help/heal others? Great comment :tiphat:
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Post by Jax14 »

Nope - no interest in immortality for me!
The question is quite a conundrum though, look at all the experiments violating human rights in "the name of science", yet one wonders how advanced many of our modern medical procedures would be without certain experiments having taken place....
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Post by Wasif Ahmed »

Jax14 wrote:Nope - no interest in immortality for me!
The question is quite a conundrum though, look at all the experiments violating human rights in "the name of science", yet one wonders how advanced many of our modern medical procedures would be without certain experiments having taken place....
Exactly! Even today, many countries have a top secret base. What happens within these bases isn't known.
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Post by Heidi M Simone »

Definitely a tough one to answer. Overall, though, I don't know if I could live with the guilt of knowing that I am alive due to someone else's suffering.

Generally, people aren't meant to live forever and who's to say that those who are on their deathbeds want the serum if the cost is to live forever? Some may find an indefinite life lonely and depressing.

Excellent question!
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Post by bruin »

This is an interesting question. Maybe I would if I did know what it was made from, but did not know all of the details of how it was made.
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Post by Azeline Arcenal »

I definitely wouldn't because I don't think it's right to take something that was made from the suffering of others. Even if I did want to be immortal, i wouldn't want to support something that involved the killing or torturing of others. Out of respect of those who suffered to make that immortality drug, I would not take the drug.
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Post by Lest92 »

This is an intelligent question and something I wondered about when Steven kept the serum. I'd have been too outraged to do that. And no, I wouldn't take something like that because I've accepted that death is part of the human experience and trying to circumvent it like that is very wrong.
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Post by kandscreeley »

I have a response to the many posts about this coming from the suffering of others. I don't know that it's wrong to accept something that came from other's suffering. There were many advances that came from the internment camps in Nazi Germany. Would I wish my worst enemy to go through those camps so that I could gain something? Absolutely not. But, it is something that happened. Wouldn't their suffering and death be in vain if we didn't at least take advantage of the good that came from it?
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Post by TangledinText »

No. I would never want to be immortal. The fun part of life is molding it and handing it off to the next generation.
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Post by EmperorOfBooks »

No, the reason being, that I would think that they would want to drag me along with them. I know that's a very pessimistic way to look at things, but each to their own.
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Post by Tommie H Odom »

No. I certainly would not. It sounds horrible. Life after death is what it is. The serum would prolong life but yet it is destroying you as a individual itself.
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Post by Between the Shelves »

This presents such a difficult moral dilemma, which comes down to how badly you want immortality, honestly. Personally, it's not something I'd treasure as much, and to think that people had to suffer in order for me to get the serum makes my skin crawl. Definitely not for me!
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Post by MrsCatInTheHat »

gali wrote:
There is a big difference as not only they had no say in the matter, they were tortured and maimed while alive.

That is paramount to why it would be wrong to take it when it was made from people who had no choice in the matter. Really, though, the whole idea makes me nauseous so I probably wouldn't have gotten to that aspect in decision making.
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