Wise old men (and women)
recovering a positive anthropology of aging
pp. 233-240
in: Mark Schweda, Michael Coors, Claudia Bozzaro (eds), Aging and human nature, Berlin, Springer, 2020Abstract
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.