Am I My Parents' Keeper? An Essay on Justice Between the Young and the Old

by Daniels, Norman

• ISBN13: 9780195052336
• ISBN10: 0195052331
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1988-03-10
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

Conflict Between the Old and the Young

Filial Obligations and Justice

The Prudential Lifespan Account

Justice in Health Care

Rationing by Age

The Challenge of Long-Term Care

Income Support

Halfway Measures

Appendix: Problems with Prudence

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.