Culture of Death: The Troubling Rise of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

The National Affairs Podcast

In a disturbing development, assisted suicide and euthanasia have become more prevalent across the West in recent decades. Government and health authorities are encouraging voluntary death, even for patients who do not suffer from a terminal illness but are afflicted by disabilities, poverty, or loneliness. Guest Aaron Rothstein joins us to discuss the radical assumptions about life, death, and human nature that underlie the practice of euthanasia. He also advocates a more humane approach to helping the dying and thinking about death.

Dr. Aaron Rothstein is a neurologist and a fellow in bioethics and American democracy at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He also hosts the podcast Searching for Medicine’s Soul.

This podcast discusses themes from Aaron’s essay in the Fall 2024 issue of National Affairs, “Origins of the Modern Euthanasia Movement.”