A preview of Freakonomics’ debate over who gets to define a “good death”
Based on the show notes, this episode examines New York’s new medical aid in dying law through policy, ethics, economics, and end-of-life care. Stephen Dubner speaks with supporters and critics, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, economist Al Roth, death doula Suzanne O'Brien, and ethicist Daniel Sulmasy.
This is a preview based on the published show notes, not a recap of the audio. If you’re deciding whether to listen, the episode appears to center on a difficult question: who should have the authority to define a “good death” when terminal illness, personal autonomy, and public policy collide? The notes suggest a deliberately mixed panel of perspectives. New York’s legalization of medical aid in dying provides the news hook, with Governor Kathy Hochul representing the policy side of the story. From there, the conversation seems to widen: Suzanne O'Brien brings an end-of-life caregiving lens as a death doula, Al Roth adds an economist’s perspective on morally contested choices, and Daniel Sulmasy offers a direct ethical challenge to the practice itself. That mix makes this sound less like a narrow legal explainer and more like a broader discussion about values. The listed resources reinforce that impression, pointing toward debates over controversial transactions, practical support at the end of life, and the future of assisted suicide and euthanasia. You may want to listen if you’re interested in how one new state law opens up larger questions about dignity, choice, medical ethics, and the limits of markets or institutions in deeply personal decisions. If you’re looking for a single clear stance, the notes instead suggest a structured argument among people who approach the issue from very different directions.
About this episode
<p>New York is the latest state to legalize medical aid in dying. Stephen Dubner speaks with the governor who signed the law, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, a death doula — and an ethicist who thinks the very idea is wrong.<br> </p> <ul> <li><strong>SOURCES:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/about-governor-hochul" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kathy Hochul</a>, governor of New York.</li> <li><a href="https://doulagivers.com/meet-suzanne/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Suzanne O'Brien</a>, death doula, founder of Doulagivers Institute.</li> <li><a href="https://web.stanford.edu/~alroth/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Al Roth</a>, economist at Stanford University.</li> <li><a href="https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/00336000014TpfuAAC/daniel-p-sulmasy-phd" rel="noopener noreferrer">Daniel Sulmasy</a>, physician, philosopher, director of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University.</li> </ul></li> </ul> <p> </p> <ul> <li><strong>RESOURCES:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/4ek4g8A" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal About How Markets Work</i></a><i>, </i>by Al Roth (2026).</li> <li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/nyregion/assisted-suicide-medical-aid-in-dying.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">New York Moves to Allow Terminally Ill People to Die on Their Own Terms</a>," by Grace Ashford <i>(New York Times,</i> 2025).</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/44fxsJm" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>The Good Death: A Guide for Supporting Your Loved One through the End of Life</i></a><i>, </i>by Suzanne O'Brien (2025).</li> <li><a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691140971/the-future-of-assisted-suicide-and-euthanasia" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia</i></a><i>, </i>by Neil Gorsuch (2009).</li> </ul></li> </ul> <p> </p> <ul> <li><strong>EXTRAS:</strong> <ul> <li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/make-me-a-match-update/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Make Me a Match (Update)</a>," by <i>Freakonomics Radio </i>(2023).</li> <li><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMQ0RUWCXYQNI0sdz2kj46nOL-diutRkjJ8WxJIXp0n2EHaA/viewform" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sign up here</a> to pre-screen our new video show.</li> </ul></li> </ul><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>