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

Abstract

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.