ABSTRACT
As life-prolonging technologies were perfected, life could be maintained even in the face of severe suffering and even when life approximated that of a vegetable. The protection of life and the alleviation of suffering were seen as frequently competitive. How was the resulting dilemma resolved? Patient autonomy had been affirmed many times over many years. Still, if a patient chose to end their life, no longer seen as worth living, there were competing, collective interests to prevent them.
