RR links --weird behavior, going different places for different students?
RR20 -- will help you prepare for exam 2
_________________________
Our question throughout Module 4
What should we expect from old age? Is it going to be the best part of life? The worst part of life? Or just different?
Hedonistic argument for optimism
- Happiness is greater in old age. (psychology premise)
- Happiness is the only contributor to wellbeing. (hedonism premise)
- Therefore, wellbeing is greater in old age. (conclusion)
- If wellbeing is greater in old age, then old age is the best part of life. (definitional premise)
- Therefore, old age is the best part of life (conclusion)
Premise 1 may be true, but premise 2 is doubtful!
_________________________
Objective list theory argument for pessimism
- accomplishment, loving relationships, self-knowledge, pleasure
Why not just accept this pessimism?
- just seems wrong when we "listen" to testimony
- objective list theories have "midlife bias" -- they are constructed by considering what is important at midlife (Nancy Jecker, Ending Midlife Bias: New Values for Old Age)
- another theory with midlife bias: Simone DeBeauvoir. Authentic projects hard to start in old age because time is running out.
_________________________
Alternative to hedonism and objective list theory: stage-based approach
- indigenous life stage theories (Arnett)
- should we really accept cultural theories as authoritative?
- childhood and adulthood are "just different" (Tomlin)
- can we say more than that?
_________________________
Proposal: objective list theory should be "stageified"
Does this lead to optimism, pessimism, or "just different"? We'll see...
Why stageify?
- Different animal species (cats, dogs), different lists
- Likewise, different stages of one life, different lists
- caterpillars and butterflies
- FYI--the eastern newt has 3 stages tadpoles, terrestrial newts, aquatic newts
- Age-based stages, different lists
Consider the nature of the animal or life stage...reflect on what's crucial for wellbeing
_________________________
Childhood--immature, vulnerable, dependent, needs support of adults
Wellbeing during childhood
- goods needed by all humans
- adjusted midlife goods
- autonomy .... childhood form
- practical identity .... childhood form
- goods of childhood--more important* than at other stages
- innocence
- carefreeness
- play
* only necessary in childhood OR bigger contributor in childhood OR greater weight in childhood (p. 527)
_________________________
Wellbeing during childhood
Old Way of Life (OWL) -- physical changes, impairments, dependence, shorter future, longer past, accumulated "experiences, skills, and achievements, as well as many mistakes and failures" (p. 528)
- goods needed by all humans
- adjusted midlife goods
- goods of old age--more important* than at other stages
What are the goods of old age?
- Authority, being respected (Cicero) -- no, too situational
- Leisure, but not in the sense of rest and relaxation
- Intrinsic enjoyment
An old person with leisure may choose to relax, but they may also choose to work or run for office. What is important is that these things are chosen for their own sake and not to honor past commitments or to prepare for the future or to acquire needed income. Leisure is a good that ‘fits’ the contours of the last stage of life because of many of the fundamental features of old age: you have already had decades of doing what you must, so in some sense you have paid your debts; you do not have a long future to prepare for; and to the extent you are impaired, forced choices would be particularly burdensome, and so particularly undesirable. (p. 529)
Thus, a certain type of enjoyment becomes particularly important in old age; namely, ‘intrinsic enjoyment’-- doing things for themselves and apart from any commitment to do them you made in the past, any payoff that may come in the future, or any expectations coming from others (p. 529)
_________________________
Optimism, pessim
Other goods of old age? Your suggestions....
- intergenerational relationships II
- deepened relationships
- family relationships
- mentorship III
- being cared for
- acceptance IIIIII
- wisdom IIIIIIIII
- spirituality
- intellectual reflection
- spiritual/religious insight
- unbotheredness, peace II
- contentment
- meaning
- connection
- reconciliation with your past II
- self-actuallization
- gratitude II
- forgiveness
- travel
- less stress
- security
- focus on hobbies
- legacy
- self-sacrifice,
_________________________
Stageified objective list theory...
- Optimism about old age? Is it the best part of life?
- Pessimism about old age? Is it all downhill?
- Just different?
- Welcomability
