This book is unusual. It has two forewords—one by Bishop Joseph Strickland and the other by Fordham ethicist Charles Camosy. The men are usually polar opposites, which already shows that Mychaskiw can bring people together. But George Mychaskiw is also unusual. He is an osteopathic physician with a specialization in pediatric cardiac anesthesiology who is working to establish Catholic osteopathic medical schools in the United States.
The 34 chapters of this book were originally blogs about contemporary bioethical questions, especially the beginnings and ends of life. Mychaskiw unhesitatingly calls out and even gores many “mainstream” shibboleths.
His positions are uncompromisingly pro-life. At one point he states: “Every human life, from conception to natural death is inherently and unconditionally valuable, regardless of age, disability, economic circumstance, parentage, or any other modifier.” That that claim and especially its implementation are controversial reveals how far we have come in allowing a “quality of life” ethic to displace a “sanctity of life” one.
Topics are very au courant. The chapter entitled “Abortion Saves Lives?” confronts the red herring but nevertheless politically effective claim that post-Dobbs pro-life laws threaten women’s lives. It specifically addresses ectopic pregnancy and preeclampsia. But Mychaskiw exposes the question pro-abortionists want to hide: Is there one patient or two? That answer will affect the course of one’s treatment. But it is precisely the idea that there is another patient with whose rights and interests one should reckon that pro-abortionists ideologically demand ignoring and that the modern American mind, disaccustomed to logical argument over emotive appeal, shirks from thinking about.
Other examples of contemporary discussions include the silent eugenic war against children with Down syndrome, the ethical problems of in vitro fertilization, the medical issues justifying born alive survivors’ protection acts, “gender-affirming” transgender genital mutilation, and disabilities that may sound horrible but with treatment and experience show that people can live relatively ordinary lives (e.g., “hypoplastic left heart syndrome”).
The book is extraordinarily timely. I recommend it to American Life League readers, but I hesitate somewhat to recommend it broadly. It’s great for those already committed to the pro-life cause, but its tone and some of its overt religious references might perhaps offput the sincere but uncommitted inquirer. That is, alas, the reality of our moment: A thoroughgoing American culture of life is still being built. Because that battleground is still under contest, a full-throated defense of life could promote the opposite effect. We do not live in a culture of logical argument where people adopt “rational” conclusions after rigorous debate. Ours is a culture that seizes upon and runs with storylines designed for emotional impact, the purveyor of the heart-rending or self-serving narrative often prevailing.
Those, however, who have taken the time to grapple with and think through these issues will find Mychaskiw’s essays both a great “continuing education” update as well as a useful source of facts and arguments.
Follow the Science: A Catholic Physician’s Contemplations on Faith, Medicine, and the Catholic Church, by George Mychaskiw II, En Route Books and Media, 2023, 354 pp.
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