Aging, getting older, and the good life
pp. 327-345
in: Geoffrey Scarre (ed), The Palgrave handbook of the philosophy of aging, Berlin, Springer, 2016Abstract
I distinguish between aging as merely getting chronologically older and aging as a process involving change. I then consider some prominent theories of value (hedonism, desire-satisfaction theory, and objective state theory) and examine how each theory evaluates the value or lack thereof involved in aging in either sense. I also discuss people's subjective attitudes toward aging and show how the facts of such attitudes will play a role in each theory in determining the actual value of aging. I conclude by suggesting that everyone, young and old alike, would benefit from a cultural shift away from our current obsession with youth.