XVI. Stages of Life

While Rosa’s analysis of stages of life is broadly convincing, it contains several problematic elements, some of which are worth examining in more detail. (1) The pursuit of existential milestones can trigger both profound experiences of resonance and profound experiences of alienation. (2) Irrespective of the significant differences between forms of life, there are no societies in which pregnancies are either entirely uncontrollable or entirely controllable. (3) The interplay between different modes of controllability, semicontrollability, and uncontrollability permeates different spheres of our existence in different ways and to different degrees. (4) The relationship between processes of commodification and the transformation of the educational sector in late-modern societies is more complex than Rosa appears to suggest. (5) Rosa’s aggression-focused understanding of modernity overstates the negative and understates the positive dimensions of this distinctive historical era. (6) There are many ways to extend one’s reach beyond one’s death, some of which are more enduring than others. (7) To the degree that a ‘strategy’ may be defined as a utility-driven plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim, it seems incompatible with Rosa’s conception of resonance.