Rethinking ageing: introduction

While philosophical discussions about the nature of human ageing have never been settled, they acquire new significance in the contemporary milieu. This should be unsurprising, given the rapidly evolving age-structure of our society. According to demographic data, human populations are getting older, especially in the Western hemisphere but, generally, as a world-wide trend. The global percentage of senior citizens is rapidly and consistently increasing. This has raised awareness of the dynamic nature of the ageing process, as well as the diverse ways in which ageing affects people differently, because of biological factors as well as cultural and social determinants. In recent years, philosophy has started to pay renewed attention to the conceptual and social implications of ageing, especially as they emerged from vivid debates in gerontology and geriatrics. Prominent figures from practical philosophy, in particular from ethics and bioethics, have animated a debate in the so-called philosophy of ageing – often in dialogue with psychiatrist and gerontologists. Philosophers of science have had a considerably more marginal role in this domain of scholarship. This collection thus aims to reflect and, at the same time, expand the paradigm of the philosophy of ageing, giving due relevance to both its socio-ethical and epistemological implications.