May 8, 2014
Professor Udo Schüklenk
"Why Legalizing Assisted Dying is a Good Idea"
At 7:00 pm on Thursday, May 8, 2014, Professor Udo Schüklenk, Queen's University, gave a public lecture titled "Why Legalizing Assisted Dying is a Good Idea". The talk was hosted in the Library Concourse on Utica College's campus at 1600 Burrstone Rd., Utica, NY.
Professor Schüklenk reviewed, from a Canadian perspective, arguments for and against the legalization of assisted dying. He briefly summarized the Canadian experience toward the end of life. To his mind the case in favour of making assisted dying legally available is not a philosophically terribly difficult task to achieve. After making the affirmative case, he focused on dissecting arguments typically deployed by opponents of assisted dying. Among these arguments are: 'assisted dying violates human dignity', 'the legalization of assisted dying leads inevitably to abuse affecting vulnerable people', and 'assisted dying violates the traditions of medical practice'. He aimed to show that because arguments against the legalization of assisted dying fail, we ought to make assisted dying available for no reason other than that an overwhelming majority of citizens support its legalization. This presentation concluded with a brief review of current Canadian legal developments on that issue.
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