Vincent Lambert and Relative Justice

On Thursday, the world was informed that Vincent Lambert had died.

He died of starvation and dehydration, after a French court sided with his wife and doctors and decided that this was the right choice. A car accident had left Lambert paralyzed and severely disabled more than 10 years ago. Despite the heartrending pleas of his parents, who insisted that his essential human dignity and worth were not defined or vitiated by his condition, the court agreed that forced dehydration was best.

Lambert's nephew, Francois Lambert, called it "rationality gaining the upper hand." "This was a human being who was suffering and the various theatrical gestures did not mean much," he said, implicitly affirming that Vincent's life also did not mean much.