Ageing and Death Breaking a Taboo

Abstract: This position paper argues for addressing ‘good death ’ as part of ‘well ageing ’ in human life. Although in most societies death is protected through taboos, we have to provide solutions in helping citizens preparing for their own death. The Oedipus Trilogy is an ancient narrative to describe clearly the three phases in any human life, the unavoidability of those phase changes. We have to use the last phase of our life to prepare for the end. We will summarize the different philosophical positons regarding ‘meaning of life’, and – alt-hough addressing death is a mainly social issue – we describe the challenges for future ICT development in supporting the important last steps of preparing for a ‘good death’.