Is it no longer our prerogative to exercise control over life, conception, and demise?
In a recent award ceremony held at the Parade Tower of Kilkenny Castle, Stephanie O'Connor, a research officer at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, was awarded the prestigious Hubert Butler Essay Prize. John Banville, the honorary patron of the prize, attended the event and praised O'Connor's essay for its courage, clarity, and subtle discrimination in exploring profound ethical questions at the boundaries of human life.
O'Connor's essay delves into complex scenarios such as maternal-foetal conflict, where the life interests of a pregnant woman and her unborn child can diverge. However, she frames her work not as a moral debate about the foetus’s status or a contest between right to life and right to die, but as an examination of how to act ethically when traditional moral frameworks fail.
John Banville, in his statement, affirmed the dignity and respect due to all of us in the process of our 'going hence' and at the moment of our 'coming hither'. He emphasised the essay's addressing of fundamental questions at the edges of human life, particularly focusing on issues surrounding life, birth, and death. O'Connor's work presents an argument affirming the dignity and respect due to all individuals not only at the moment of birth but also in the process of dying.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of Hubert Butler's first essay collection, "Escape from the Anthill," which was published in 1985, Butler's 86th year. Banville's praise for O'Connor's essay serves as a testament to the enduring relevance of Butler's work and the importance of exploring and discussing ethical dilemmas in modern life.
In summary, O'Connor’s award-winning essay highlights ethical challenges at the boundaries of human life, the complexity of maternal-foetal conflict, the insufficiency of old moral frameworks in new medical realities, and the affirmation of dignity and respect throughout human life’s transitions.
Stephanie O'Connor's essay, focusing on the ethics of maternal-fetal conflict and the exploration of fundamental questions related to life, birth, and death, aligns with the themes of health-and-wellness and mental-health, as it delves into the rigorous examination of moral dilemmas that impact our physical and emotional well-being. John Banville's praise for O'Connor's work underscores the importance of addressing these issues in the context of science and society, emphasizing the ongoing relevance of such discussions in the 21st century.
