We live in a time of far-reaching transformation of the social sphere: In politics and economics, a view of humanity is emerging that expects each individual to behave flexibly and proactively, independently and responsibly. This new political economy of the active society is also encroaching on previously untouched spheres and phases of life. Thus, the political programmatic formula of "active aging" has long become part of both the external and self-description of older individuals. The volume examines the change in the politically-mediated image of aging, confronts it with the narratives of older people about their lives in retirement, and translates the findings into an original diagnosis of the aging society.