Rediscovering the Human Agent: A Theological Exploration of Human Activity in Old Age

This paper explores what it means to be a human agent when the capacity for autonomous activity is reduced due to old age. I argue that the modern Eurocentric social imaginary expects meaningful agency to disappear in late old age, as it locates human activity within the capacity for autonomy, or independently driven “self-government”. This denial of consequential agency has negative social and personal consequences for those living in this time of life. In response, this paper challenges existing definitions of human agency. Using secondary-sourced ethnographic fieldwork and theological reflection, it proposes an alternative definition of human action, one which is rooted not in the individual’s capacity for deliberation and intentionality but in Jesus Christ. This will ultimately include the old within the category of human ‘doings’ who have a meaningful role to play in society.