Aging and Human Nature

This book focuses on ageing as a topic of philosophical, theological, and historical anthropology. It provides a systematic inventory of fundamental theoretical questions and assumptions involved in the discussion of ageing and old age. What does it mean for human beings to grow old and become more vulnerable and dependent? How can we understand the manifestations of ageing and old age in the human body? How should we interpret the processes of change in the temporal course of a human life? What impact does old age have on the social dimensions of human existence? In order to tackle these questions, the volume brings together internationally distinguished scholars from the fields of philosophy, theology, cultural studies, social gerontology, and ageing studies. The collection of their original articles makes a twofold contribution to contemporary academic discourse. On one hand, it helps to clarify and deepen our understanding of ageing and old age by examining it from the fundamental point of view of philosophical, theological, and historical anthropology. At the same time, it also enhances and expands the discourses of philosophical, theological, and historical anthro­pology by systematically taking into account that human beings are essentially ageing creatures.

• Growing Old in the Human Body
• Historical Anthropology
• Philosophical Anthropology
• Social Dimensions of Human Existence
• Theological Anthropology
• Spirituality and Transcendence in Old Age
• Ageing and Human Condition
• Dependence and Passivity in Ageing
• Ageing and Vulnerability
• Ageing and the Life Course
• Ageing and Care and Caregiving

“The diverse contributions of the present anthology provide an excellent overview of aging and old age as a fundamental anthropological phenomenon and open up current – mostly European – critical socio-gerontological research for international discussion. … It inspires the inclusion of an even bigger variety of philosophical traditions about their contributions to Aging Studies and ultimately demonstrates how Aging Studies can benefit from the discussion of different scientific traditions.” (Anna-Christina Kainradl,Age, Culture, Humanities, Issue 5, 2021)

• Department of Health Services Research, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany

  Mark Schweda

• Institute of Social Ethics, Faculty of Theology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

  Michael Coors

• Department of Medical Ethics & History of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

  Claudia Bozzaro

Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda is professor for Ethics in Medicine at the Department for Health Services Research, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg. As a philosopher and bioethicist, his research focuses on philosophical, bioethical, and socio-cultural aspects of aging and the human life course as well as on questions of philosophical anthropology and political philosophy. Among his publications are the edited volumes “Planning Later Life. Bioethics and Public Health in Ageing Societies” (2017, together with Larissa Pfaller, Kai Brauer, Frank Adloff, and Silke Schicktanz) and “Popularizing Dementia. Public Expressions and Representations of Forgetfulness” (2015, together with Aagje Swinnen).

Prof. Dr. Michael Coors is extraordinary Professor for theological ethics and head of the Institute for Social Ethics at Zurich University. As theologian and bioethicist, he is working on ethical and anthropological issues of aging, end of life care, and intercultural encounter in health care. He studied protestant theology and philosophy, and worked as theologian at the Center for Health Care Ethics in Hannover, Germany (2011-2018). Among his recent publications are edited volumes on voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (2019, together with Alfred Simon and Bernd Alt-Epping) and on Advance Care Planning (2015, together with Ralf J. Jox and Jürgen in der Schmitten).

 Dr. Claudia Bozzaro is Research Fellow at the Department of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine at the Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg. As a philosopher and bioethicist, she is working on ethical, philosophical, and anthropological aspects of aging, end of life care, and reproductive medicine. Among her recent publications are edited special issues on the normativity of suffering in bioethics and medicine (2018, together with Christoph Mandry) and on new approaches to chronic pain (2016, together with Kristin Kieselbach and Markus Schiltenwolf).

Policies and ethics