Cicero's humanity and old age

The purpose of this study is to examine Cicero's concepts of humanity and aging. According to Cicero, humans are virtuous beings, and every human being is a prototype of humanity. He defines virtue as a dynamic lifestyle based on experience and "knowing how to live a good life." He argues that right behaviour and happiness can be achieved through philosophical knowledge. Contrary to common negative connotations, Cicero does not view aging as a bad state; he argues that old age can be enjoyed happily. While respect for the elderly is prevalent across cultures, aging is sometimes perceived as the most difficult period from a purely physical perspective. However, according to Cicero, old age is the stage when maturity, experience, and usefulness to society are at their peak. While many philosophers have offered different perspectives on aging, almost no one other than Cicero has addressed this issue as a philosophical problem in the way he has or established such a direct connection between aging and philosophy. Cicero acknowledges that humans are born to think and act; He sees philosophy as a tool for guiding life and emphasizes that older people, due to their experience, are more effective in this direction. Consequently, Cicero positions philosophy as a mental activity essential to life, considers understanding old age and the self-evaluation of older people one of its tasks, and develops practical suggestions for how older people should behave, in a way that common sense would approve. He concludes that those who understand the unique characteristics of each life stage can more easily cope with the challenges of old age and enjoy it more.