Abstract

It is fairly easy to charge intergenerational justice accounts that recommend a distribution of healthcare resources favoring the young as being ageist. Clearly, such policies strongly privilege the interests of one age group over those of another. In a time of tight resources, the elderly are to get the short end of the stick, though for reasons that some theorists believe are ethically justifiable. What is not as immediately clear, however, is the sexist nature of rationing healthcare resources for the elderly. In this essay, I contend that perspectives capitalizing on justice, fairness, or equity between age groups do not readily reveal, and perhaps even obstruct, a clear view of such sexist dimensions.