Philosopher, ethicist, and opiniemaker Etienne Vermeersch is at the age of 84 died. Report that Dirk Verhofstadt and Johan Braeckman on behalf of the family. Vermeersch died last week Friday 18 January. He was one of the best known and most influential Flemish thinkers and had an important voice in a number of major debates such as euthanasia and abortion. Vermeersch chose for euthanasia: “I die with my life’s work,” he wrote just before his death.
“Emeritus professor dr. Etienne Vermeersch died on Friday, January 18, after a long illness at the University Hospital of Ghent”, say Verhofstadt and Braeckman. The farewell took place today in an intimate circle.
Vermeersch was professor of philosophy at the University of Ghent, atheist, skeptic, but especially a respected voice in many of the big social debates. In the struggle for the right to contraception, or the legalization of abortion and euthanasia, he walked in front.
“Etienne has for euthanasia selected”
Vermeersch was a very good friend of professor Dirk Verhofstadt. Who saw him last week. “Etienne has for euthanasia, but wants no role model. That wrote he, himself, still, shortly before his death. He said: “I die with my life’s work. I am not trying to serve as a role model. My death is not a statement. Each man must for himself decide how he wants to die.”
“Etienne was a man of integrity, very erudite. Justice and solidarity were very important to him. He was always sharp, but showed at the same time compassion. People knew him as a hard debater’, but actually he was very gentle. We have put together a lot of lectures and talks given together, and each time noticed that after people came to him with an opinion or with problems. Always he had a listening ear. He was very popular with the public. He was someone who always thought said and continued to argue, but what he said was always substantiated with arguments.”
“He was ill, but remained until the end to clear the mind. He looked at last week to the news, and saw 12,000 students in Brussels truancy for the climate. That wore his approval, as he left the brands. He put his thumb up.
also Read the last interview with Vermeersch in our newspaper: 8 life lessons from Etienne Vermeersch after 80 years thinking: “Enjoy your successes, but wear your setbacks”
“Major impact on public debate and legislation ‘
According to Verhofstadt was Etienne Vermeersch “one of the most important and influential philosophers that Flanders has ever known”. “He had a big impact on public debate and on a lot of legislation. First, on ethical issues with the legalization of abortion and euthanasia. Thanks to him, today people who have unbearable suffering and that emphatically questions, from the life,” says Verhofstadt.
He had, according to Verhofstadt also have a major impact on the debate around issues such as the environment, overpopulation and animal welfare. “Furthermore, he defended the Verlichtingswaarden such as freedom of expression, the equality of man and woman, and the strict separation of church and state, with hand and tooth. Vermeersch was a strong debater, but also a gentle man who especially loved was when large layers of the population.”
Biography: “The drama of my life is that I can’t convince not to have children”