Owen Morris
M argo ’ s
Directive : Reflecting on Personal Identity within Issues of Paternalism and Dementia
Owen Morris
For PHIL704 , OWEN MORRIS provides a rational argument for the intuitive and humanist approach to a classic moral quandry : do we respect the wishes of someone in a forgotten stage of their life , rather than their current wishes , though they are in a weakened state ? Currently a Master ’ s student , Owen takes pride in his academic drive , and has a PhD on his radar , the location of which is to be determined .
Do we respect Margo ’ s wishes to die , or withhold life-saving treatment now she is demented , even though she is seemingly content with life ? Do we respect
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the contract that Ulysses imposed of himself even though he is in great pain , or do we untie him from the mast ? These and many other related problems raise ethical issues , issues of personal identity and subsequently , ideas of autonomy . In the following essay I wish to explore the underlying assumption that Dworkin makes when reflecting on the case of Margo and dementia- arguing that the animalist conception of personal identity that is assumed by Dworkin , is flawed . As a result , Dworkin ’ s conclusion of respecting precedent autonomy in cases of Dementia and Alzheimer ’ s breaks down . I will then argue that Jaworska is correct in arguing that