Defining Death
Alan D. Shewmon, the professor of pediatric neurology at UCLA Medical School believes that "until the turn of the decade, most people thought that 'brain death' was a settled issue; it no longer is. An increasing number of experts have begun to re-examine critically and to reject various key underlying assumptions" (Shewmon 1998). Determination of death has obviously become more complex, and the questions of when death is final require answers. According to most recent definitions, if the brain is entirely and irreversibly destroyed, a person can no longer relate to the world. As with any definition however, there are exceptions, gray areas, and blurred lines. We cannot strive for one all-encompassing definition. We will always need to modify our definitions based on the changing beliefs of the community, and the changes in technology.
Until midway through the 20th century, it was believed that the functioning of the cardiac, respiratory, and brain systems were necessary for life. Before a person could be pronounced dead, all three of these had to cease functioning. It is not surprising that with no other proof, the heart was considered the organ that determined life because "it was clear that, when the respiration and heart stopped, the brain would die in a few minutes" (Ad Hoc 1968).
We now know however, that it is the brain that controls the function of these other closed systems. Without the brain, the heart and lungs can continue their normal function, and this can be the case "even when there is not the remotest possibility of an individual recovering consciousness" (Ad Hoc. 1968). Dr. Denton Cooley, who in 1968 had been in charge of more heart transplants than any other surgeon, and with more succ...
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...within the political realm. To that end, Cicero’s hope for the future necessitates the populace possess the virtues as well, most importantly wisdom, so that they may quickly recognize when a dishonorable course of action occurs and needs to be remedied. Julius Caesar’s recent assassination, and Cicero’s lamentation of Caesar’s forceful dissolution of the Republic, often becomes apparent within the text, most notably in the warning against “dangerous flatterers” (19). To avoid the fate of the Republic, the populace must also posses the virtues, namely wisdom, so that unjust action can be discerned and halted, lest a leader gain too much power and dissolve popular sovereignty.
Jahi McMath is a 13-year-old girl living in Oakland, CA who was declared brain dead by multiple neurologists more than three months ago. Jahi was declared brain-dead December 12th after barriers during surgery a few days earlier to remove her tonsils, adenoids, and uvula at Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland. At least three neurologists confirmed that Jahi was unable to breathe on her own, had no blood flow to her brain, and had no sign of electrical activity in her brain. Moreover, a court order kept Jahi's body on a ventilator while independent experts could be brought in to confirm the results (Wells, 2014). Even so, the McMath family was able to secure the release of Jahi's body through the county coroner, who issued a death certificate, and have been keeping her on a ventilator at an undisclosed facility ever since. This all occurred after Children’s Hospital released Jahi due to her severe brain damage along with the probability of the hospital receiving profit from discharging Jahi before her or her family were ready for her to be released (Johnson and Rhodes, 2010, p. 61).
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The unavoidable question is then, what has generated this state of affairs between these two human groups. Throughout the text one can sense that both parts have reached an impasse where everybody feels terribly bad towards the other group and where they all want to find the way either to inflict pain to the opponent or to protect themselves...
The idea of a lasting, ideally global, peace has been present in the minds of people for centuries. The most notable formulation of this is Kant’s vision of perpetual peace. “He saw it as a condition that needed to be maintained by politics between states with governments which represented society and separation of power. From this basic framework stems the idea called “democratic peace theory” (pg. 82). Democratic Peace Theory (DPT) asserts that democracies do not generally fight other democracies because they share common norms and domestic institutions that constrain international, state actors from going to war. Sebastian Rosato states, “In practical terms democratic peace theory provides the intellectual justification for the belief that spreading democracy abroad will perform the dual task of enhancing American national security promoting world peace” (pg. 585).
In this essay, after defining some crucial concepts, such as peace, liberal and democratic governments, I’ll present arguments that support the idea that liberal democratic states are not inherently more peaceful then other states, but that they are, in fact, more likely to create conflicts between nations and different political systems. The focus will be attributed to U.S.’s policies and historical events that corroborate the idea expressed above.
The democratic peace theory postulates that liberal democracies are hesitant and unlikely to engage in armed conflict with other democracies. This idea dates back centuries to German philosopher Immanuel Kant and other 18th-century Enlightenment thinkers. By examining the political similarities, economic system, geographical location, and other factors of generic democracies, proponents of the democratic peace theory argue that democracies have a vested interest not to war with one another. However, other forms of government are exempt from these principles unique to democracies. Autocracies, a system of government which assigns one individual absolute power and control, violate all facets of the democratic peace theory. Autocracies lack the
The criteria or definition of brain death was re-examined in 1968 by a committee at Harvard Medical School and is part of the criteria used today. They defined it as when a patient; is unresponsive to stimulus; cannot move or breathe without the aid of a ventilator and has no brain stem reflexes. Several tests are done in order to determine if a patient meets these criteria and this can be done by physicians and neurologists. A brain dead patient is legally dead and a death cer...
Horkan, Thomas. "Legislation That Complicates Dying." Eds. Gary McCuen and Therese Boucher. Hudson: Gary McCuen Publications, 1985. 69-72.
The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in major shift in United States foreign policy. For years, the United States supported tyrannical dictators in return for stable anti-communist government receptive to United States interests. The Cold War resulted in a new world order with the United States as the lone global hegemonic power. In Eastern Europe in particular, the end of the Cold War ushered in an era of economic growth and a large increase in the number of liberal democracies. Although the world saw a large increase in liberal democracies, a new regime type referred to as competitive authoritarianism began to emerge. According to Levitsky and Way, “In competitive authoritarian regimes, formal democratic institutions are widely viewed as the principal means of obtaining and exercising political authority. Incumbents violate those rules so often and to such an extent, however, that the regime fails to meet conventional minimum standards for democracy” . In labeling these regimes as authoritarian and not democratic, Levitsky and Way place emphasis on the importance of differentiating these questionable regimes from prototypical democracies. In their definition they argue that all democracies have four inherent traits; “Executives and legislatures are chosen through Elections that are open, free, and fair, virtually all adults possess the right to vote, political rights and civil liberties, including freedom of the press, association, to criticize the government are protected and elected authorities possess real authority to govern, in that they are not subject to the tutelary control of military or clerical leaders” . These, Levitsky and Way argue are fundamental for the prospects of democracy. ...
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Frederick, Calvin J. "Death and Dying." Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1997: Microsoft Corporation. CD-ROM.
I was very excited to take Death and Dying as a college level course. Firstly, because I have always had a huge interest in death, but it coincides with a fear surrounding it. I love the opportunity to write this paper because I can delve into my own experiences and beliefs around death and dying and perhaps really establish a clear personal perspective and how I can relate to others in a professional setting.