ABSTRACT
Dying has always been a fact of life, but until the development of modern medicine over the past two centuries, it has rarely been considered a choice. The development of modern medicine, particularly in the last fifty years, has given us an unparalleled ability to postpone death, but it has not always been able to maintain an acceptable quality of life. As a result, death increasingly comes to be seen as a choice, not just an event that happens to us. How do we navigate this increasingly complex territory that involves the wishes of the dying person; religious, ethical, and legal constraints; the limits of medicine; and the cost of keeping people alive? These are some of the questions considered in this chapter.
