Abstract:

An analysis of moral, religious & social issues relevant to being old in the U.S. during the last decades of the twentieth century. Specifically, some ethical & religious dimensions of the relations of freedom & dependence, sickness & health, & meaning & value are explored in the geriatric context. Are there positive alternatives to prevailing images of aging as illness, disease, or decline? Is "dependence with dignity" a realistic possibility for many elderly people? On the basis of both Western & non-Western moral & religious traditions, these questions are answered with a qualified, but insistent, "Yes."