From the art of dying to a medicalization of death: a history of euthanasia with Dr Caitlin Mahar

Send us Fan MailIn this episode Chris talks with Dr Caitlin Mahar about the history of euthanasia and how understanding the longer history of death and dying can help to understand contemporary debates over voluntary assisted dying legislation. Dr Caitlin Mahar is in Politics and History at Swinburne University. She is an historian whose research focuses on cultural and medical histories of dying and pain in Britain and Australia. She has a BA (Hons) degree in History and English from the University of Melbourne and a MA in Public History from Monash University. Her 2016 PhD thesis exploring the history of euthanasia won the University of Melbourne’s Dennis-Wettenhall Prize for Australian History. Prior to joining Swinburne she taught literature in the Trinity College Foundation Studies program and worked as a researcher in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne.  Her book on this history of euthanasia will be published in 2023. Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected]