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Significance of past statements: speech act theory
1Centre for Bioethics and Medical Law, Law School, Bowland North, Lancaster University, Lancaste rLA1 4YN, UK. joanne.gordon.adr@gmail.com
Abstract:
In W v M, a judge concluded that M's past statements should not be given weight in a best interests assessment. Several commentators in the ethics literature have argued this approach ignored M's autonomy. In this short article I demonstrate how the basic tenets of speech act theory can be used to challenge the inherent assumption that past statements represent an individual's beliefs, choices or decisions. I conclude that speech act theory, as a conceptual tool, has a valuable contribution to make to this debate.
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