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Bioethicist Prof John Wyatt to address issues of life and death at ‘09 New College Lectures

Bioethicist Prof John Wyatt to address bioethical issues and the impact of technology on contemporary medicine

Friday, 28 August 2009, 9:33 (EST)
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There has been widespread interest in the story of Christian Rossiter, the 49-year-old quadriplegic who has asked his carers to stop feeding him so that he can die. His carers have gained Supreme Court of WA permission to stop feeding him intravenously allowing Mr Rossiter to choose to die by starvation. The story has created a renewed interest in the dilemmas patients and medical carers face when confronted by ethical concerns about issues of life and death.

The kind of moral and ethical complications represented in Mr Rossiter’s case reflect technological developments that present new choices about life and death at both the beginning and end of life. Prof John Wyatt, author of the widely acclaimed book Matters of Life and Death, will address this topic when he presents the 2009 New College Lectures. In his book Wyatt addresses the type of issues raised in cases like Mr Rossiter's. In his chapter on euthanasia and assisted suicide, he suggests that:

‘Death like the sun should not be stared at.’ So said the French philosopher…Yet advances in medicine force us to do just that. Of course, all generations have discovered that they cannot evade the reality of death. But if we are going to develop an authentic Christian response to the issues of euthanasia and medically assisted suicide, we need to stare at death with renewed intensity. We need to stare at its mystery and awful finality, at the questions and fears that it raises, and at our own mortality….death and dying are not just ‘out there’ as abstract theoretical issues. Death is in our midst.’ (Matters of Life and Death p.169)

Prof John Wyatt is currently Professor of Ethics and Perinatology, the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London; he has a long-standing interest in the philosophical, ethical and religious issues raised by advances in medical technology.

Prof Wyatt will be present three public lectures to be held 8-10 September at UNSW. The Lectures will offer a Christian perspective on the impact of technology on contemporary medical practices. Informed by a biblical understanding of God’s purposes Prof Wyatt will consider the bioethical issues that we face every day as we make decisions about creating, preserving and protecting life.

Tuesday 8 September | Bioethics and creation
How do different conceptions of the origins of the cosmos impact on current bioethical debates? What does creation order imply about reproductive technology, parenthood, and the intrinsic value of human life?
6.15pm The John Niland Scientia Building , UNSW
Drinks & Canapés, lecture to follow from 7.15pm

Wednesday 9 September | Bioethics and redemption
The minimization of suffering is central to the moral vision of utilitarianism. How does the Easter story transform perceptions of suffering and how does this impact on current bioethical controversies about assisted suicide, euthanasia, ageing and degenerative diseases?
Thursday 10 September | Bioethics and future hope
The Enlightenment project aims to create better humans by the use of technology. How should be respond? What are the implications of the Christian hope for bioethics? How should we treat our patients now in the light of the future?

Wednesday and Thursday nights: 7.30pm Main Common Room, New College , UNSW,
question time and supper to follow the lectures
New College and The John Niland Scientia Building are located
on the main campus of the University of New South Wales in Kensington.


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