ADVANCE DIRECTIVES FOR VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA - A VOLATILE COMBINATION

Defenders of patient autonomy have successfully supported the legal ad option of advance directives. More recently, some defenders of patient autonomy have also supported the legalization of voluntary active eut hanasia. This paper explores the wisdom of combining both practices. I f euthanasia were to become legal, should it be permitted by advance d irectives? The paper juxtaposes the most significant doubts about adva nce directives, with the most significant doubts about euthanasia. It argues that the doubts together raise more concern about the combined practices than about either euthanasia or advance directives separatel y. Not all cases of voluntary euthanasia by advance directive are equa lly problematic, however. Advance directives can help in the defense o f euthanasia for patients who make the request in advance and reaffirm it under circumstances of severe suffering.