Life-extending enhancements and the narrative approach to personal identity

Abstract

Various debates on the desirability and rationality of life-extending enhancements have been pursued under the presupposition that a generic psychological theory of personal identity is correct. I here discuss how the narrative approach to personal identity can contribute to these debates. In particular, I argue that two versions of the narrative approach offer good reasons to reject an argument against the rationality of (certain forms of) life-extending enhancements.

Keywords: enhancement; persons; quality/value Of life/personhood; relational narrative approach; self-constituting narrative approach.