Advance Directives and Transformative Experience: Resilience in the Face of Change
Document Type
Article
Year
2020
Citation Information
Govind Persad, Advance Directives and Transformative Experience: Resilience in the Face of Change, (2020), available at https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/faculty-articles/1943.
Abstract
Walsh valuably deploys L.A. Paul’s “transformative experience” framework (2016) to challenge Ronald Dworkin’s defense of following advance directives prepared in advance of dementia (1994). In this commentary, I critique three aspects of Walsh’s paper: (1) the ambiguity of its initial thesis, (2) its views about the ethics and legality of clinical practice, and (3) its interpretation and application of Dworkin’s and Paul’s views. I also consider what Walsh’s proposal would mean for people facing the prospect of dementia. I conclude that our reasons to honor many advance directives survive the move to a transformative experience framework.