The Palgrave Handbook of the Philosophy of Aging

This comprehensive handbook presents the major philosophical perspectives on the nature, prospects, problems and social context of age and aging in an era of dramatically increasing life-expectancy. Drawing on the latest research in gerontology, medicine and the social sciences, its twenty-seven chapters examine our intuitions and common sense beliefs about the meaning of aging and explore topics such as the existential experience of old age, aging in different philosophical and religious traditions, the place of the elderly in contemporary society and the moral rights and responsibilities of the old. This book provides innovative and leading-edge research that will help to determine the parameters of the philosophy of aging for years to come.

Key Features

•       Structured in four parts addressing the meaning, experience, ethics and future of aging

Geoffrey Scarre is Professor of Philosophy at Durham University, UK.  In recent years he has taught and published mainly in moral theory and applied ethics.  His books include Utilitarianism (1996), After Evil: Responding to Wrongdoing (2004), Death (2007) and On Courage (2010). He is a director of the Durham University Centre for the Ethics of Cultural Heritage.