Patrick McKee

On defining wisdom.

Many gerontologists propose definitions of wisdom. Usually these are “empirical,” as opposed to a-priori or “real” definitions. In this article we defend an a-priori definition of wisdom. We briefly explain a-priori and empirical definitions, and how they relate to each other in research. After rejecting two classical a-priori definitions of wisdom, we present and defend our own, and examine its ability to predict key findings of recent empirical studies. Finally, we describe some implications of our approach for future empirical studies of wisdom.

Plato's Theory of Aging

Platos writings express a positive attitude toward elderly people. But do his writings also show a serious theoretical interest in issues of aging? We approach this question by comparing what Plato says about aging to major theoretical issues in gerontology. We argue that many of Platos subtler observations of the behavior of elderly people and many of his ideas about aging anticipate specific research and theoretical advances in contemporary gerontology. We compare passages in Platos works to the debate between activity and disengagement theories, the concepts of continuity and gerotranscendence, Robert Butlers discovery of “the life review,” and recent theories of old age wisdom. Platos anticipation of these ideas and issues related to them suggests that his writings may contain still other major insights into aging which are not yet articulated in gerontology. We suggest three possibilities.

The old prospector: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre as exemplar of old age in popular film.

Popular films often feature representations of older people and interpretations of the aging experience. Interpretations of aging in film parallel concepts and theories in contemporary gerontology. This article examines gerontological themes in the classic popular film, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The ubiquity of aging motifs in popular film offers gerontology a significant opportunity for public education.

Kant's Aesthetic Interpretation of a Certain Kind of Late Life Withdrawal

Developmental changes in late life have been studied from many perspectives. Yet rather little inquiry has been made into changes in specifically aesthetic interests and abilities people may experience in old age. This is unfortunate, because aesthetic awareness is both a very important part of life and one which often undergoes change as a function of aging and maturity. This article builds on the aesthetic theory of the enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant to argue that aesthetic theory can contribute to gerontological inquiry by offering hypotheses useful in explaining certain kinds of late life withdrawal, and for suggesting a new domain of empirical inquiry about old age development.

Plato's Theory of Late Life Reminiscence

Plato was a careful observer of the life review process and regarded it as an important source of philosophical insight. In several dialogues he presented a penetrating theory of late life reminiscence, anticipating much of what gerontologists now know about it. His treatment differs from recent approaches to life review by engaging epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues that this process implies. Exploring these philosophical issues through the eyes of the elderly Socrates, Plato articulates the subtle logical form characterizing certain life review judgments, arguing that they are based on a crucially important “retroactive” constitution of certain moral properties.

Transcendence in James Reynolds' Old Age Landscapes

Some gerontological theories suggest a turn toward philosophical transcendence in positive adjustment to old age. If this is true, one should expect such a turn to be manifest in the work of at least some artists who are active in old age. This essay argues that the late landscape paintings of James Reynolds exhibit just such a shift. Reynolds should be included among those few artists whose old age work presents convincing evidence of a distinctive old age style.