Notes
1. Intentionality means that the decision is made purposefully, not by accident; understanding means that the patient has sufficient information and can make sense of it in a way that supports his or her decision making; and noncontrol refers to the absence of manipulation, coercion, or undue influence.
2. For the purposes of considering the relationship between autonomy and paternalism, a distinction between strong and weak paternalism is useful. Strong paternalism is intervening to override someone's autonomously chosen goals for the kind of life they wish for themselves; by contrast, weak paternalism is overturning a person's (first-order) choices in order to help them achieve their autonomously chosen life goals.