Ethical dilemmas of the silver economy

Abstract

Motivation: The silver economy means the existing and emerging economic opportunities caused by the ageing population. It creates a number of dilemmas encourages its broader analysis in view of the emerging ethical problems.

Aim: The aim of the article is to present ethical problems arising in connection with the aging of the population. The article hypothesizes that the development of individual activities undertaken in the field of the so-called ‘silver economy’ repeatedly violates the ethical rules of social relations, which may contribute to reducing the quality of life and social status of senior citizens. The implementation of the silver economy, related to the rejection of biases and stereotypes concerning the elderly, is the essence of the problem analysis. The ethical dilemmas mentioned in the title indicate the need to reflect on the problem, whose solution presents a difficult choice between two equally important perspectives: the personalized, pro-senior citizen approach; and a pragmatic approach to alleviating the impacts of an ageing society on society overall. The problem is considered with respect to various fields of activity of the silver economy, concentrated around the silver industry, social innovation and gerontechnology.

Results: The development of the silver economy will be one of the expected megatrends in the economy. The activities of silver industries, social innovation and gerontechnology are a condition to increase the level and quality of life of the older generation. The silver economy is a major stimulus for development, provided that it is based on ethical principles that promote social and economic inclusion, as well as on counteracting the negative consequences of stereotyping, ageism and social exclusion. The analyzes carried out indicate that the ethical approach to the development of the ‘silver economy’ has not been sufficiently considered to date.