The concept of autonomy in medical practice brings with it many different points of view. Autonomy is the ability that individuals have to govern themselves. In these different views there are two schools of thought, one is the belief that people are born with the ability to do what they want with their bodies and no organization can tell them what to do with their body, like the government. On the other hand, some people believe that it is more complicated and dependent on mental competence for the person to make rational decisions. However, most people seem to support autonomy. A particular, largely incontrovertible discussion arises with the case of Dax Cowart, who had his right to autonomy taken away in a tragic accident and is therefore an advocate of autonomy. As an ethics committee we had to discuss this case in accordance with four questions: Can Dax Cowart refuse treatment, and no, why. If so, then when might he be released, and if so, to the first question, what would your decision be if Cowart asked for physician-assisted suicide? I will discuss the main points, the consensus and the reasons for the committee's consensus. Furthermore, I will summarize the case and give my opinion. Dax Cowart was the victim of an unfortunate event that took his father's life and nearly his own. More specifically, a propane explosion caused the accident, burning more than two-thirds of Cowart's body. He was in so much pain that his request to stop treatment so he could die from an infection was rejected. There were also other factors involved in his decision to die, one was that he felt his quality of life would be horrible as he had been disfigured with his fingers amputated, and he couldn't... middle of paper.. ... .s mind, whether it's better pain management or a new doctor, and if that doctor fails to meet those requests to the point of changing the patient's mind, then the doctor should grant the patient's wish. Cowart suffered something that almost no one else suffers experiences to the point that he wanted to take his own life because of all the pain. However, he was denied the innate right to self-government. He is now a strong supporter of autonomy and is trying to get his story out there. As an ethics committee we had to discuss whether or not he should be allowed to die and we came to the decision that people should be allowed to do what they see fit for themselves if that person is mentally competent. Works Cited “Confronting Death: Who Chooses, Who Controls? A Dialogue Between Dax Cowart and Robert Burt,” Hastings Center Report 28:1 (1998): 14-24.