Abstract
This chapter discusses if and how we can recover a more positive anthropology of aging. I argue that we can discern important characteristics that only the old can possess. In particular, having lived a long life is strongly and reliably linked to having a store of first-person experiences that the young cannot have. Therefore the old are more likely to provide knowledge about social change and the pursuit of a good life.
Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.
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Notes
- 1.
- 2.
https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/kamer-twijfelt-stervenshulp-vanaf-75ste-~b733ffd3/. Accessed 29 October 2019.
- 3.
See Remmers, Chap. 13, and Hurst, Chap. 17 in this volume.
- 4.
Some practice general abandonment and some practice active killing of the elderly (Diamond 2013).
- 5.
https://blog.ruforum.org/2014/07/24/climbing-up-trees-or-sitting-on-shoulders/. Accessed 29 October 2019.
- 6.
The whole section is too long to quote here, but is well worth a read.
- 7.
For a particularly obnoxious web-page on this issue see http://www.atlantaorthodoxchurches.org/stjohn/Why_Need_Poor.html. Accessed 29 October 2019.
- 8.
“In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species’ chances of long-term survival.” http://www.darwinawards.com/rules/. Accessed 29 October 2019.
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Holm, S. (2020). Wise Old Men (and Women). Recovering a Positive Anthropology of Aging. In: Schweda, M., Coors, M., Bozzaro, C. (eds) Aging and Human Nature. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 25. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25097-3_16
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