His argument focuses on the difference between human agency and natural agency, and that the self cannot control nature. There is a common misconception, or fantasy, between what happens that a person can control, and what is independent of their actions, and individuals try to become masters of everything outside of the self. Callahan agrees that we can intervene in nature and cure or control various diseases, but death always wins in the long term. Like many things in the world, saving a dying body is out the realm of human control, so intervening with nature prompts a larger metaphysical argument whether humans can control nature. A patient does not know what nature has in store for them in the future, and their decision on the longevity of their life might be skewed because of their bleak outlook on their life. Prematurely killing them could mean the end of a life that was meant to be
His argument focuses on the difference between human agency and natural agency, and that the self cannot control nature. There is a common misconception, or fantasy, between what happens that a person can control, and what is independent of their actions, and individuals try to become masters of everything outside of the self. Callahan agrees that we can intervene in nature and cure or control various diseases, but death always wins in the long term. Like many things in the world, saving a dying body is out the realm of human control, so intervening with nature prompts a larger metaphysical argument whether humans can control nature. A patient does not know what nature has in store for them in the future, and their decision on the longevity of their life might be skewed because of their bleak outlook on their life. Prematurely killing them could mean the end of a life that was meant to be