Humans have long longed for eternal life, and modern science and technology continue to attempt to realize it. However, from Heidegger’s philosophical point of view, true happiness is more about living with a sense of meaning and purpose through finite time. If we were given eternal life, we would most likely lose the value of time and experience unhappiness in its meaninglessness.
The German philosopher Schopenhauer said that all living beings have a “blind will to live”. Indeed, there are many examples in world history where humans have shown a strong will to live. The ancient Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang sought to find a fireweed to escape the fear of death, and mummies in ancient Egypt symbolize the human desire for eternal life. Even in modern times, humans have not abandoned their desire for eternal life, with Russian media tycoon Dmitry Itskov’s “Avatar Project” to develop a perpetually moving body and an immortal artificial brain. But will fulfilling this desire make us happier? Heidegger’s ontology suggests that the answer might be no.
According to Heidegger’s ontology, true happiness can only be achieved by living an ‘original life’. In Heidegger’s view, authentic life becomes possible only when we face death and realize the finitude of time. The original life, or existential life, is a life that gives meaning to one’s existence and sets goals in line with those meanings and values. Human existence is bound to end, and no one can take its place. People who do not realize the finitude of time will think that they can do what they cannot do now later, which will lead to an aimless and meaningless life. It will be difficult to feel happy if this kind of life continues. If we achieve eternal life through science and technology, we will not need to recognize finitude, and as a result, we will lose the value of time and the meaning of life, and we will not be happy.
Imagine an immortal scientist. If immortalized through science and technology, the scientist would have unlimited time to conduct extensive research. However, research is better when you have a strong will and clear goals. Living forever would make it harder to have a strong will and goals, and it’s not clear that such a life would be happier.
This discussion may make intuitive sense. However, not many people live an existential life. The people who truly realize Heidegger’s ontology or existentialism are probably those who are near death. In “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying,” written by Bronnie Ware, a nurse who cared for terminally ill patients in Australia, the top two regrets of terminally ill patients were “not living the life they wanted” and “not striving for their own happiness. This shows that people who are aware of their mortality realize the need to live an existential life and strive for happiness.
While Heidegger argued that existence and happiness can be achieved through meaningful action, others, such as Epicurus, emphasized passive hedonism, which is the pursuit of a state of tranquility that eliminates pain and anxiety. He argued that happiness comes from doing nothing, not from giving meaning to life or setting goals. In his book Sapiens, Yuval Harari says, “When you realize the transience of emotions, which constantly arise and pass away through Buddhist meditation, you can let them pass, and that is the most peaceful and happy state.” But can you actually feel happy if you do nothing for the rest of your life? Probably not.
Human life can’t consist of meditating all day long. The state of doing nothing can be very brief or even non-existent. Let’s go back to Heidegger’s existential philosophy. In his book Philosophizing with Kim Kwang-sik, the Korean writer said. “If you think of dying in a month’s time, every moment is a time that will never come back, and even if you live only one day, you will live with all your heart. This is the way to exist and live properly.” In reality, many people find that if they don’t fill their time with actions that are in line with their values, they will eventually feel bored and anxious, even if they are initially calm and happy. Even if you don’t live every day to the fullest, a life of inaction, boredom, and anxiety is far from an existential life.
In the end, we have examined the impact of eternal life created by science and technology on happiness through Heidegger’s philosophy. In eternal time, we will lose our existential life, and this will make us unhappy. Heidegger’s argument warns us that eternal life could make us unhappy. While human life does not necessarily have to be directed toward the pursuit of happiness, given the choice between unhappiness and happiness, most people will choose happiness. If eternal life is likely to lead to greater unhappiness, then we should be skeptical of science and technology’s path to immortality.
