The issues involved in deciding whether to use artificial methods of delivering hydration and nutrition are often very difficult for patients, families, and health care providers. Once private and personal matters, these decisions now frequently involve the judicial system. Five years ago, Hospice of Washington recognized the need for a written policy and wrote the one published here. Its goal is to respect individual preferences and family concerns while addressing the nutrition and hydration needs of dying patients. The policy sets (...) parameters on the issue, provides basic information, and encourages crafting the most fitting resolution to each situation. (shrink)

Book 3 of Cicero s de finibus is generally regarded as an accurate description of Stoic ethics. This study shows that Cicero did not present Stoic orthodoxy but combined it with contemporary peripatetic theory. This has implications for our understanding of Stoa and Peripatos and offers new insights into Cicero s methods and the philosophical discourse of the 1st century BC.".