About Me

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Australian philosopher, literary critic, legal scholar, and professional writer. Based in Newcastle, NSW. My latest books are THE TYRANNY OF OPINION: CONFORMITY AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM (2019); AT THE DAWN OF A GREAT TRANSITION: THE QUESTION OF RADICAL ENHANCEMENT (2021); and HOW WE BECAME POST-LIBERAL: THE RISE AND FALL OF TOLERATION (2024).

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Udo Schuklenk to head panel on euthanasia

My buddy and co-editor, Udo Schuklenk, has been appointed by the Royal Society of Canada to head up an expert panel on end-of-life decision making. This is an intellectual powerful group of people, entrusted to look at such serious and important issues as euthanasia and assisted suicide. They are already copping criticism, even before they report, from religious and moral conservatives.

I wish the panel good luck in its deliberations, and will look forward to seeing its report - which will likely become the state of the art in rational policymaking on such issues.

The panel's full membership is as follows:

Chair: Udo Schuklenk, PhD:

· Professor of Philosophy and Ontario Research Chair in Bioethics, Queen’s University

· http://www.udo-schuklenk.org/

· Publications: http://www.udo-schuklenk.org/researchs.htm

Before coming to Canada he worked at Australian, British, German, and South African universities, including Monash University’s Centre for Human Bioethics and at the University of Central Lancashire’s Centre for Professional Ethics. He is currently Joint Editor in Chief of Bioethics and founding editor of Developing World Bioethics. Both journals are listed in major indices including MedLine.

Members:

1. Johannes J. M. van Delden, MD, PhD:

Julius Center for Health Sciences, University Medical Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Chair, Ethical Commission of the Medical Council of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)

http://people.juliuscentrum.nl/profile.aspx?id=10959

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1331141

http://jme.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/33/4/187


2. Jocelyn Downie, S.J.D.:
Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy
Professor, Faculties of Law and Medicine, Dalhousie University

http://law.dal.ca/Faculty/Full_Time_Faculty/Bios/Jocelyn_Downie/index.php


3. Sheila McLean, PhD, LLD, LLD, FRSE, FRCGP, FRSA:

First holder of the International Bar Association Chair of Law and Ethics in Medicine at Glasgow University and Director of the Institute of Law and Ethics in Medicine at Glasgow University.

http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/schooloflaw/staff/academic/mcleans/


4. Ross Upshur, MD, MSC:

Canada Research Chair in Primary Care Research and Associate Professor, Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto; Director, University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics

http://www.sunnybrook.ca/team/member.asp?t=13&page=1199&m=175

http://www.jointcentreforbioethics.ca/people/upshur.shtml


5. Daniel Weinstock, PhD:

Canada Research Chair in Ethics and Philosophy, University of Montreal

Professeur titulaire, Département de Philosophie, and Directeur du Centre de recherche en éthique de l'Université de Montréal (CREUM)

http://www.philo.umontreal.ca/prof/daniel.marc.weinstock.html

2 comments:

Greywizard said...

Yes, I've heard of this. A high-powered group of able and distinguished thinkers. (And, in the light of Udo's contribution to 50 Voices, very encouraging, though not surprising to hear that they are copping criticism already, especially from the interfering idiot Alex Schadenburg.) Is there any sign of activity yet? Is there any way that one can get involved with the work of the expert panel?

NewEnglandBob said...

The pre-report critics are probably afraid the commission will be using logic, rationality, critical thinking and evidence from around the world instead of making a political stance based on fiction.