Ian Dowbiggin
Encyclopedia
Ian Robert Dowbiggin is an academic historian, a historian of medicine, a prominent commentator on Catholicism
, and an opponent of euthanasia
and physician-assisted suicide
. He is a professor in the History
department at the University of Prince Edward Island
. His research and publications have been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
of Canada and the Associated Medical Services. He acts as consultant and coordinator for The Cathedral Institute of Christian Spirituality.
In 2011, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
.
movement, including A Merciful End: The Euthanasia Movement in Modern America (2003) and A Concise History of Euthanasia: Life, Death, God, and Medicine (2005). His works link Darwinism
to the euthanasia movement, and he has argued that "the ideological justification for euthanasia lies not in the advanced medical technologies of the late 20th century, but in the social Darwinism, eugenics
, and utilitarianism
of the late 19th century", presenting the movement as utilitarian and anticlerical
. This focus has been criticised, with Dowbiggin having been accused of overemphasising the relationship between eugenics and euthanasia, and of muddying "important conceptual and practical distinctions" of the different aspects of euthanasia. Meanwhile, the Canadian Historical Association
praised A Merciful End as "detached from partisan views."
He has spoken against both euthanasia legislation and Darwinism, and has argued that the Netherlands
shows how a slippery slope
can form, where a "permissive attitude to assisted suicide" can lead to other changes. On Darwinism, Dowbiggin has argued that with the overthrow of the theories of Marx and Freud, Darwinism may be next, and he has asked if Darwinism needs to be replaced with something else.
Dowbiggin has given speeches at a 2005 Canadian pro-life movement conference, and the 2003 Euthanasia Prevention Coalition symposium. In one speech, he stated that euthanasia, eugenics, sex education
, population control
, gay rights and abortion
all have something in common: they are connected by their “fervent dedication to over-turning centuries-old conceptions of life and death.”
A review in the The New England Journal of Medicine found that Dowbiggin reaches a conclusion that contradicts known data: "Dowbiggin's worry that sterilization is directly responsible for birth rates that are below the replacement rate, which he expresses both in the prologue and in the final chapter of the book, is not supported by the data."
accusing the Vatican of "misogyny" as an example, and noting that the Catholic church today is a favourite target of gay and lesbian groups. He cites homosexual demonstrators who have spat on the Eucharist, shouted down sermons, tossed condoms at church leaders and shouted outside Catholic churches, adding that in Canadian history, anti-Catholicism
has been the force behind much of the debate over immigration
, temperance
, labour
, language
, and public schooling.
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, and an opponent of euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
and physician-assisted suicide
Assisted suicide
Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends...
. He is a professor in the History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
department at the University of Prince Edward Island
University of Prince Edward Island
The University of Prince Edward Island is a public liberal arts university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the sole university in the province. Founded in 1969, it traces its roots back to its two earlier predecessor organizations, St. Dunstan's University and Prince of Wales...
. His research and publications have been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is an arm of the Canadian federal funding agency. SSHRC supports a wide range of research and scholarship in the social sciences and humanities. The current president of the Council is Chad Gaffield.- History :SSHRC was formally...
of Canada and the Associated Medical Services. He acts as consultant and coordinator for The Cathedral Institute of Christian Spirituality.
In 2011, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
.
Euthanasia
Dowbiggin has written extensively on the history of the euthanasiaEuthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
movement, including A Merciful End: The Euthanasia Movement in Modern America (2003) and A Concise History of Euthanasia: Life, Death, God, and Medicine (2005). His works link Darwinism
Darwinism
Darwinism is a set of movements and concepts related to ideas of transmutation of species or of evolution, including some ideas with no connection to the work of Charles Darwin....
to the euthanasia movement, and he has argued that "the ideological justification for euthanasia lies not in the advanced medical technologies of the late 20th century, but in the social Darwinism, eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
, and utilitarianism
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes the overall "happiness", by whatever means necessary. It is thus a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined only by its resulting outcome, and that one can...
of the late 19th century", presenting the movement as utilitarian and anticlerical
Anti-clericalism
Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious institutional power and influence, real or alleged, in all aspects of public and political life, and the involvement of religion in the everyday life of the citizen...
. This focus has been criticised, with Dowbiggin having been accused of overemphasising the relationship between eugenics and euthanasia, and of muddying "important conceptual and practical distinctions" of the different aspects of euthanasia. Meanwhile, the Canadian Historical Association
Canadian Historical Association
The Canadian Historical Association is a Canadian organization founded in 1922 for the purposes of promoting historical research and scholarship. Marius Barbeau, the anthropologist, was its founding Secretary...
praised A Merciful End as "detached from partisan views."
He has spoken against both euthanasia legislation and Darwinism, and has argued that the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
shows how a slippery slope
Euthanasia and the slippery slope
Critics of euthanasia sometimes claim that legalizing any form of the practice will lead to a slippery slope effect, resulting eventually in non-voluntary or even involuntary euthanasia...
can form, where a "permissive attitude to assisted suicide" can lead to other changes. On Darwinism, Dowbiggin has argued that with the overthrow of the theories of Marx and Freud, Darwinism may be next, and he has asked if Darwinism needs to be replaced with something else.
Dowbiggin has given speeches at a 2005 Canadian pro-life movement conference, and the 2003 Euthanasia Prevention Coalition symposium. In one speech, he stated that euthanasia, eugenics, sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
, population control
Population control
Human population control is the practice of artificially altering the rate of growth of a human population.Historically, human population control has been implemented by limiting the population's birth rate, usually by government mandate, and has been undertaken as a response to factors including...
, gay rights and abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
all have something in common: they are connected by their “fervent dedication to over-turning centuries-old conceptions of life and death.”
Sterilization
Dowbiggin, who coined the phrase "birth dearth", published the book The Sterilization Movement and Global Fertility in the Twentieth Century in 2008. The book expresses the view that, despite concerns about overpopulation as the human population passes 7 billion, problems of depopulation could rival those of global warming.A review in the The New England Journal of Medicine found that Dowbiggin reaches a conclusion that contradicts known data: "Dowbiggin's worry that sterilization is directly responsible for birth rates that are below the replacement rate, which he expresses both in the prologue and in the final chapter of the book, is not supported by the data."
Anti-Catholicism
Dowbiggin has written that anti-Catholicism is widespread and tolerated today, taking a comment by former Canadian UN ambassador Stephen LewisStephen Lewis
Stephen Henry Lewis, is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party...
accusing the Vatican of "misogyny" as an example, and noting that the Catholic church today is a favourite target of gay and lesbian groups. He cites homosexual demonstrators who have spat on the Eucharist, shouted down sermons, tossed condoms at church leaders and shouted outside Catholic churches, adding that in Canadian history, anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed against Catholicism, and especially against the Catholic Church, its clergy or its adherents...
has been the force behind much of the debate over immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, labour
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
, language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, and public schooling.
Partial bibliography
- A Concise History of Euthanasia: Life, Death, God, and Medicine (2005)
- A Merciful End: The Euthanasia Movement in Modern America (2003)
- Suspicious Minds: The Triumph of Paranoia in Everyday Life (1999)
- Keeping America Sane: Psychiatry and Eugenics in the United States and Canada, 1880-1940 (1997)
- Inheriting Madness: Professionalization and Psychiatric Knowledge in 19th Century France (1991)
External links
- Dowbiggin's page at UPEI