TheAging Crisisin Asia: An Ethical Reflection

• Published in: 윤리연구, 1(95) pp. 1 - 28
• Main Author: Joe M. Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 한국윤리학회 01.05.2014
• Subjects: 학제간연구
• ISSN: 2982-5121; 2982-5334
• DOI: 10.15801/je.1.95.201405.1

The world is witnessing an unprecedented aging crisis, which has consequences for every sphere of human life, including economy, labor market, healthcare, and intergenerational family life. The crisis is more serious in countries which have lower birth rates, such as Japan, South Korea, and China. The process of aging has not been a subject of serious research in Asian countries.Educating families and care providers about the physiological, psychological, and sociological forms of aging is an urgent task in those countries. The aging crisis brings with it many ethical issues, such as justice, freedom, and responsibility in relation to the older population in the society. The deepening crisis of aging and the diminishing of human resources are great challenges to the society. The family, which is characterized by profoundand intrinsic interpersonal relations, has the primary role in meeting these challenges. The idealsofmutual respect, sacrificial love, harmony, and reciprocity in the family are taught in the great religious and philosophical systems of Asia. Only a family that preserves these moral teachings of the great religious and philosophical traditions can effectively face the challenges created by the aging crisis. KCI Citation Count: 0