Description
How should social resources be distributed among different age groups? What does justice require from both the young and the old? Answering these questions, philosopher Norman Daniels critically examines the distribution of social resources--public funds for human services--among the competing factions of the young and the old. Looking at the moral issues involved, he proposes a "lifespan" distribution which would allocate resources equitably throughout the course of one's life.
Read More
The rapidly increasing numbers of elderly people in our society have raised some important moral questions: How should we distribute social resources among different age groups? What does justice require from both the young and the old? In this book, Norman Daniels offers the first systematic philosophical discussion of these urgent questions, advocating what he calls a "lifespan" approach to the problem: Since, as they age, people pass through a variety of institutions, the challenge of caring for the elderly becomes the prudent allocation of public resources among the various stages of people's lives. Using this philosophical approach, Daniels addresses specific public policy issues such as the allocation of medical funds, the adequacy of long-term care, current Medicare cost-containment measures, and the equitable distribution of income support over the lifespan and between generations.
Read Less