[SydPhil] Sydney Health Ethics Conversation - 12 March - Liezl van Zyl: Dying Virtuously

[Kathryn MacKay]

Liezl van Zyl | 12 March
Sydney Health Ethics Conversation Series
Dying virtuously: Burdensomeness as motive for medically assisted suicide

Hi everyone,
Please join us for the next SHE Conversation series with Associate Professor Liezl van Zyl.
Speaker
Associate Professor Liezl van Zyl
Associate Professor in Philosophy at the University of Waikato
Liezl van Zyl<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/sHVUCE8wmrt0rRNqGtNf0S7QG33?domain=t.e2ma.net> is an Associate Professor in Philosophy at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, where she works primarily in virtue ethics, moral psychology, and applied ethics. She is the author of Virtue Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction (2019) and has published on topics such as surrogate motherhood, abortion, and medically assisted dying.

Moderator and Response: Dr Kathryn Mackay<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/uV_rCGv0oyCOxjQ8lt7hYSBzNXA?domain=t.e2ma.net>
Abstract
Dying virtuously: Burdensomeness as motive for medically assisted suicide

In previous work, I argued that assisted suicide can constitute an act of courage if it is aimed at a worthwhile end—a good death for the one who dies (Van Zyl, "Choosing death: Virtue ethics and suicide," 2026<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/6vESCJyBrGfAG0DnzSzixSyYnXW?domain=t.e2ma.net>). In this paper, I examine whether a good death can also be understood in other-regarding terms, as aimed, at least in part, at the good of others. A paradigmatic example is that of Captain Oates, who, after becoming too ill to continue the South Pole expedition, walked into a blizzard so that his companions could continue unburdened by a duty of care or feelings of guilt. In a medical context, a comparable case may be when a patient requests medically assisted suicide in order to relieve others of the burdens of care and the distress of witnessing a prolonged dying process. I ask whether, and under what conditions, a request grounded in concerns about burdensomeness can be understood as an expression of courage and generosity, and consider how medical professionals should respond to such requests.
When
12 March 2026
12:00–1:00 PM
Where
A27, Dean’s Boardroom/Conference Room
Level 2 (Main Entrance from Fisher Road, immediate left after you enter).
Joining online? Register here: Zoom registration link<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/O6LxCK1DvKTMg3G1wSAsjS5biP2?domain=t.e2ma.net>
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Supriya Subramani: supriya.subramani at sydney.edu.au<mailto:supriya.subramani at sydney.edu.au>​.