The University of Toledo’s Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership will host a debate on physician-assisted suicide on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
Two bioethicists, Dr. Charles C. Camosy of the Catholic University of America and Dr. Jason Chen of the Ohio State University, will share their perspectives in “The Right to Die? A Debate on Physician-Assisted Suicide in Ohio” at 7 p.m. in the Center for Alumni and Donor Engagement Auditorium.
Onsite visitor parking is free at the Center for Alumni and Donor Engagement Auditorium, which is located at 4510 Dorr St. in Toledo. To register for the free, public event, go to the institute’s website.
Camosy is an associate professor of moral theology and ethics at the Catholic University of America. He has written extensively on numerous topics, including end-of-life issues, in nine books as well as academic journals and national media outlets.
Chen is a postdoctoral researcher in the College of Pharmacy and Center for Ethics and Human Values at the Ohio State University, where he also completed a Clinical Bioethics Fellowship in 2021. He is a senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Akron.
In “The Right to Die? A Debate on Physician-Assisted Suicide in Ohio,” Camosy and Chen will engage in a timely and thought-provoking debate on the moral, medical and legal dimensions of physician-assisted suicide.
Physician-assisted suicide, also known as medical aid in dying, is currently legal in 11 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. It is not legal in Ohio.
“Physician-assisted suicide is a topic that invites strong opinions, including among critics and advocates in Ohio,” said Dr. Jonathan Culp, director of the Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership. “We’re inviting our audiences to listen, to ask questions and engage in the kind of civil discourse that our democracy needs and that our institute advocates for on and off campus.”
The Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership is a multidisciplinary center at UToledo that was created and funded by the Ohio Legislature in 2023. Through teaching, research and public programming, the institute provides a space for diverse voices to discuss and debate key questions about U.S. society, history and politics.
