Dr Rachel Clarke at Philosophy Café
The Philosophy Café was honoured to welcome author and palliative care specialist Dr Rachel Clarke for a profoundly moving and thought-provoking event on the complex and often highly charged issue of assisted dying.
The session drew an engaged audience of students and staff, all eager to grapple with this most difficult of ethical topics.
Dr Clarke brought her vast clinical experience to the discussion, sharing many poignant and deeply human accounts from her work with the terminally ill.
With great empathy and clarity, she explored the moral tensions surrounding assisted dying, presenting the perspectives of patients with compassion and care.
Her insights were not only measured and illuminating, but also impossible to hear without being moved.
The discussion also drew on international contexts, as Dr Clarke spoke about the real-world consequences of assisted dying legislation in countries where such laws have been introduced.
These comparative reflections added depth to the conversation, helping the audience think beyond purely theoretical arguments.
Students posed detailed and thoughtful questions, prompting further exploration of the legal, medical, and moral dimensions of the issue.
By the end of the session, everyone left with a clearer understanding of the complexities involved in a debate that resists easy answers.
