Imagine a situation in which advances in science and technology lead to humanity gaining eternal life, and discuss the changes in happiness that would result. We examine the social and personal implications of eternal life in terms of both instantaneous and temporal happiness, centering on the argument that eternal life could cause us to lose the meaning and value of time, ultimately reducing our happiness.
Humanity’s scientific and technological advances are endless. And the end point of that technological progress is likely to be eternal life. Whatever transitional issues arise, whatever social consensus is reached, humanity will eventually evolve toward eternal life. With the advancement of science and technology, we have already succeeded in overcoming many diseases and extending our lifespan. This has paved the way for modern societies to live much healthier and longer lives than in the past. So, will humanity be happier if we one day attain eternal life?
Before answering this question, let’s define “eternal life” conceptually. For the purposes of this article, a society with eternal life is one in which the concept of natural death has been eliminated for all members of the human race, and aging can be controlled at will. Of course, in the transitional process of achieving eternal life, people will receive it in order according to the social gap between the rich and the poor, but let’s put aside the conflicts and think about a society where everyone has achieved eternal life. Will a society that has achieved eternal life be happier? There will be deviations in happiness among individuals, but looking at the happiness of humanity as a whole, I think not. Let’s look at the reasons for this in relation to the changes that occur after immortality.
There are two main types of happiness that people experience. There are two main types of happiness: instantaneous happiness, which is the result of a momentary hormonal rush, and periodic happiness, which is the result of experiencing happiness or unhappiness over a period of time, but feeling that the period of time is meaningful. For example, the happiness you feel on your birthday when you are congratulated is instantaneous happiness, and the happiness you feel when you think back on that day after some time has passed is periodic happiness. Humans feel happy with their lives when they have a lot of this type of happiness, but if they have eternal life, this type of happiness will lose its meaning.
The reason for this is the loss of temporal meaning. Momentary time may exist for humans who attain eternal life, but temporal time will lose its meaning in the eternally repeating time. If a human being currently lives 80 years, that 80 years is made up of infancy, adolescence, adulthood, and old age, each of which is made up of smaller and smaller units of time. We give meaning to these units of time in our lives and feel happy when we accomplish something. However, in an infinite time, these distinctions will become meaningless, and the amount of happiness will decrease because only momentary happiness will have meaning, as a day, a month, and a year will not add up to a life, but an eternal life that exists only in each moment.
The amount of happiness will also decrease from the perspective of social groups. Yuval Harari, author of Sapiens, says, “Perhaps our less fortunate ancestors found great satisfaction in community, religion, and connection with nature. In a society so sophisticated that it offers the promise of eternal life, will humans seek to achieve this union of community, religion, and nature? The answer is not so simple. We have more advanced technology, longer lives, and more capital than our ancestors 500 years ago, but we can’t easily say yes to the question of whether we are happier. Humans who are granted eternal life will also have more advanced technology than we do, will live forever, and will be able to experience more, but we cannot say that they will be happier.
Humanity has been progressing all along. Of course, it’s hard to say that this progress has led to greater happiness, but it’s true that we have progressed. At least in that progress, humanity has been able to avoid boredom and idleness, and has been able to pioneer new meanings and sustain society. But can humanity, having been granted eternal life, continue to develop after so much time has passed? If we are granted eternal time, which is the end of personal and social development, it is hard to expect any further development, and we will eventually reach individuals and societies with a slope of zero. Of course, some might argue that we would still have the highest quality of life of any human being that has ever lived, and that we would be able to enjoy the highest level of happiness indefinitely, albeit without increasing happiness. To counter this argument, one could argue that it’s not the quality of life that determines happiness, but the process of getting there.
In Sapiens, Yuval Harari argues that if you win the lottery or double your salary, you will have a higher quality of life, but all of these things will soon become the norm rather than the exception. Similarly, even if humanity lives a higher standard of living, it is not guaranteed that we will be happier in that higher standard of living if we do not progress and stagnate.
Those who argue that mankind will be happier if they attain eternal life say that if they attain eternal time, death will be eliminated, and therefore unhappiness will be reduced. However, “If you forget about death, you forget about the finite meaning of time, and eventually you forget about the meaning of living properly. However, as it is said, “If you forget about death, you will forget the finite meaning of time, and eventually realize the meaning of a properly existing life.” The unhappiness of death itself will disappear, but the meaning of being alive will fade. In addition, the elimination of natural death may result in accidental deaths causing even more fatal misery to individuals.
Humanity, having gained eternal life, will lose the preciousness of time in exchange for the infinity of time. We do not generally feel a sense of value for air, which is currently available to everyone in unlimited quantities. By the same token, if everyone were given an infinite amount of time, the overwhelming majority of people would feel less happy with it than they do now.
Humanity’s advances in science and technology have brought about tremendous achievements and changes. It has conquered many diseases and made our lives easier. But technological advancements don’t always translate into increased happiness, and the question of eternal life is even more complicated. Whatever benefits we gain from eternal life, we need to think deeply about what we lose, especially the meaning and value of time. It remains to be seen whether eternal life can bring true happiness to humanity.
