The Quest for Designer Children 139

four master's degrees, three spouses. Women may have children in their 60s. Five or more generations may know each other.

The Jewish tradition would respond positively to life extension techniques. According to Modern Orthodox Rabbi Barry Freundel:

In Judaism , life is a positive value. In fact, one could argue that it is an infinite value. A longer life gives a person more time to be involved in good deeds and the tasks presented by G-d to this world as His challenge to us. Increasing life expectancy through genetic manipulation is not different than increasing life expectancy by better management of disease or by developing new surgical procedures. Any type of increase in length of life is a positive for which the provider is deemed meritorious to the highest degree. Sanctity of life for us means increasing that life to the fullest extent possible.

... Every hour added to someone’s life comes with the possibility of doing good deeds and repentance and is, therefore, more valuable in this way than all of life in the world to come.

Some bioethicists, however, advocate a static, closed-end notion of human existence. Having limited aspirations for technological innovation and progress, they conclude that career and family ambitions can be satisfied within the biblical three score and ten years and now through current medical advances, three score and twenty years or an eighty-year life span. They do not view a longer life for individuals as an unqualified good." Rather, as Dr. Leon R. Kass puts it,“The finitude of human life is a blessing for every individual whether he knows it or not.”:

Other experts do not view life extension as an expression of a childish, narcissistic wish. Placing it in a positive light, they see anti­