Premium
Historical Antecedents of Normative vs Pathologic Perspectives in Aging
Author(s) -
PETERSON MARVELU,
ROSE CHARLES L.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1982.tb07104.x
Subject(s) - normative , dilemma , perspective (graphical) , medicine , geriatrics , epistemology , disease , china , gerontology , law , pathology , psychiatry , philosophy , artificial intelligence , computer science , political science
Differing concepts of aging, i.e., a normative versus a pathologic process, are presented in historical perspective and are traced through selected writings from ancient China, India, Egypt, and Greece into more modern times. There is no consistent shift across epochs from one to the other perspective, and mixed perspectives often appear. Ideas regarding the aging process and age‐related disease are influenced by the changing medical state of the art in various eras. Because of the still incomplete knowledge of the basic mechanisms involved, the current status of medical knowledge has not yet resolved the “aging vs disease dilemma.” History, however, does reveal insights that promote respect for prescientific observations and intuitions, provide a contextual background for progress achieved, and foreshadow current trends in the theory and practice of geriatrics.