Old Age as a Stage of Life

Bibliographic Data

ID21497337
AuthorsJean Kazez (0000-0002-9419-8526, Southern Methodist University Dallas TX USA, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume40
Issue3
Pages521-534
Publication date2023-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Applied Philosophy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0264-3758 • E-ISSN: 1468-5930
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/japp.12646
OpenAlexW4320733188
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited14

The objective list account of wellbeing is usually taken to say that the same set of goods is relevant to wellbeing for any person, regardless of age. Coupled with reasonable assumptions about how goods are distributed over the lifespan, that leads to a picture of wellbeing as higher in midlife and lower in childhood and old age. I argue that a stage‐relativized objective list theory is more plausible, after exploring several ways to understand the concept of a life stage. On the stage‐relativized view, lists of goods that define wellbeing vary in the sense that there are shifting thresholds and subcategories relevant to different stages of life, but also because there are goods that count at one stage and count less or not at all at others. After exploring the list of goods for old age, I argue that the old age form of wellbeing can be welcomed even if the goods it offers are not superior to midlife goods

Sociology · Aging and Gerontology Research · Computer Science · Health disparities and outcomes · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology

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