ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to elucidate the tension that exists between technological focus and respect for personhood. In order to unveil the conflict and identify its consequences, the chapter describes some of the strategies utilized by physicians to constrain and restrict the emotional, social, and personal presence of dying persons. The dominance of technological emphasis in the physician-patient relationship diminishes the value of the patient as a person in that relationship. The chapter argues that the technological focus of medical care is a reflection of the broader technological underpinnings of everyday life. It is precisely for these reasons that it must be emphasized that the dominant orientation and daily activities of the profession of medicine are an extension and reflection of the technological foundation of society. There can be no doubt that the autopsy experience plays a central role in shaping technocratic consciousness, of instilling professional values of detachment, objectivity, and rationality.
