Alterssicherung

Sozialethische Analysen

Abstract

The article is based on three aspects that play a central role in the current discourse on old-age security: demographic development, the significance of gainful employment for old-age security, and generational semantics. Against this background, three political- philosophical theories are discussed with regard to their normative content on the topic of old-age security: the theory of justice as fairness by John Rawls, the capabilities approach by Martha Nussbaum and the recognition theory by Axel Honneth. All these theories are only of limited use for a socio-ethical treatment of the question of old-age security or have problematic implications. In contrast, the concept of solidarity in the Catholic social tradition (solidarism) offers a plausible rationale for a welfare-based organization of old-age security.