The Inconsistent Philosophy Of Advance Care Planning

Abstract

This thesis examines the cross-disciplinary interpretational variety of the three philosophical concepts central to advance care planning (ACP): autonomy, beneficence and personal identity. Through exposing incongruities in the philosophical framework of ACP I offer an alternative explanation of why ACP must fail to live up to the high expectations it commonly raises, especially about respecting autonomy. I argue that such failure results from the pursuit of paradox goals and that this is only resolvable through abandoning some of ACP's ambitions.