Murray N. Rothbard

Living wills—or advance directives, as others call them—do not protect the rights of those who wish to receive life-sustaining treatments, argues Murray N. Rothbard in the following viewpoint. Although living wills supposedly enable individuals to document their decision to accept or decline life support should they become comatose, these decisions are not always honored. Medical authorities seeking to cut costs may prematurely end the life of a person who wished to be kept alive, Rothbard contends. Rothbard, who died in 1995, was a libertarian philosopher and economist.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does Helga Wanglie’s case illustrate the trouble with living wills, in Rothbard’s opinion?
2. What entity was paying Helga Wanglie’s medical costs, according to the...