Abstract
Contesting previous deficit-oriented models of ageing by focusing on the resources and potential of older people, concepts of ‘successful’, ‘productive’, and ‘active ageing’ permeate social policy discourses and agendas in ageing societies. They not only represent descriptive categories capturing the changing realities of later phases of life, but also involve positive visions and prescriptive claims regarding old age. However, the evaluative and normative content of these visions and claims is hardly ever explicitly acknowledged, let alone theoretically discussed and justified. Therefore, such conceptions of ‘ageing well’ have been criticised for promoting biased policies that privilege or simply impose particular practices and lifestyles. This appears problematic as it can obstruct or even effectively foreclose equal chances of leading a good life at old age. Against this backdrop, our contribution aims to discuss current conceptions of active ageing from an ethical point of view. Starting from an analysis of policy discourses and their critique, we first examine the moral implications of prominent conceptions of active ageing, focusing on evaluative and normative premises. By employing philosophical approaches, we analyse these premises in light of a eudemonistic ethics of good life at old age and detect fixations, shortcomings, and blind spots. Finally, we discuss consequences for ethically informed active ageing research and policies, highlighting the interrelations between one-sided ideals of ageing well and social discrimination and exclusion.
Highlights
On its website, the International Council on Active Aging ([ICAA], 2018) commits to “the conviction that people can significantly improve the quality of their later years by staying active and fully engaged in life”
Positive visions and prescriptive claims regarding old age come into play, in this case, “quality of life” and “dignity”
Scientific discussions on active ageing started to boom at the beginning of the 2000s in response to the 2002 World Health Organization (WHO) strategy
Summary
The International Council on Active Aging ([ICAA], 2018) commits to “the conviction that people can significantly improve the quality of their later years by staying active and fully engaged in life”. The example highlights central aspects of contemporary active ageing discourses It first illustrates how the idea of active ageing permeates media, policy, and industry reasoning and communication in ageing societies. In the context of modern pluralistic societies and liberal democracies, this appears problematic as it can obstruct or even foreclose equal chances of leading a good life at old age (e.g., for people with disabilities, chronic diseases, cognitive impairments, socio-cultural minorities, or socioeconomically underprivileged groups). Against this backdrop, our contribution aims to discuss conceptions of active ageing from an ethical point of view. As we will argue, introducing an ethical perspective can help strengthen the argumentative foundations of the debate by clarifying underlying values and norms
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
