Martha Nussbaum: The Philosophy of Thoughtful Aging

Martha Nussbaum, one of America’s greatest living philosophers, joins us for a discussion of the ethical, aesthetic, and philosophical conundrums around our country’s rapidly changing view of the aging process. In her book Aging Thoughtfully: Conversations about Retirement, Romance, Wrinkles, and Regret, Nussbaum lends us the perspectives of both philosopher and lawyer-economist to explore ideas about when to retire, how to refashion social security to help the elderly poor, and whether to enjoy or criticize anti-aging cosmetic procedures. Some of our concerns are practical: philanthropic decisions, relations with one’s children and grandchildren, the purchase of annuities, and how to provide for care in old age. Others are cultural, ranging from the treatment of aging women in popular films to marriages of men such as Donald Trump to much younger women. Nussbaum offers a thoughtful exchange on this natural, inevitable process.

Martha C. Nussbaum is Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago. She has received honorary degrees from fifty-six colleges and universities in the US, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, and is the author of multiple books including Love’s Knowledge, Sex and Social Justice, From Disgust to Humanity, and Philosophical Interventions.