In the symposium ‘For the time being – temporality, ethics, aging: Conversations between anthropology, art and philosophy‘ the main question is: How do temporal perspectives on lived time and time left change with old age and what are the roles of inter-and intra-generational dynamics in elderly’s perspectives on past, present and future life challenges and horizons? In her presentation, Natashe Lemos Dekker shed light on the divergent temporalities that are at play in requesting euthanasia with dementia in the Netherlands. Particularly, she addresses the use of written statements that describe the wish for euthanasia of the person with dementia as a tool to resolve temporal dissonances and transfer responsibility to family members.
The symposium took place in Aarhus, Denmark and was centred on the research project “Aging as a human condition – radical uncertainty and the search for a good (old) life” in which philosophers, artists, and anthropologists have investigated four themes: the mindful body, home space, intimate others, and lived time.
For more information, have a look at the symposium website.