Table 4.

Different Reasoning About the Same Card Item

Participant	Primary dimension of reasoning	Exemplifying quote about card item “To be free of pain”
Louise	Existential/Spiritual	“Yes, “to be free of pain” is important. The anthroposophists [a philosophy based on Rudolf Steiner’s work] think that suffering is part of life, and those who believe whole-heartedly in anthroposophy, they won’t even agree to get a lot of pain relief. But my mother got, she actually took morphine when she got to the point … And that’s what I’ll do. No one has to be stingy about it, just pile it on. Even if it shortens life by a few hours or a few days, it’s totally ok. I want to die free from pain.”
Peter	Physical	“But for my part, if I’m in that kind of situation [with unendurable pain], then I would prefer having help to die … And have that definitive life experience, rather than dying in pain [laughs].”
Thomas	Social	“If I have such unbearable pain so that I can’t stand it, then you can’t have meaningful relationships with one another either, so to speak.”