[Basic problems of educational gerontology (author's transl)]

The author attempts an integration of gerontology into an educational concept by analysing the anthropological aspects of ageing and the effects of social change brought about by the industrialisation. Since Descartes postulated a dualisting model of man is well-being depends on the well-being of the body. Thus old age and ageing must be seen as an individual as well as a social problem in so far as the "I" may loose its integrative power; social, because having to live in homogeneous age groups of modern society (rather than in heterogenous age groups of older days) may result in a loss of meaning. It's at this point that the aging individual needs help.