| The metaphysics of brain death. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 11653058 Owner: KIE Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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The dominant conception of brain death as the death of the whole brain constitutes an unstable compromise between the view that a person ceases to exist when she irreversibly loses the capacity for consciousness and the view that a human organism dies only when it ceases to function in an integrated way. I argue that no single criterion of death captures the importance we attribute both to the loss of the capacity for consciousness and to the loss of functioning of the organism as a whole. This is because the person or self is one thing and the human organism is another. We require a separate account of death for each. Only if we systematically distinguish between persons and human organisms will we be able to provide plausible accounts both of the conditions of our ceasing to exist and of when it is that we begin to exist. This paper, in short, argues for a form of mind-body dualism and draws out some of its implications for various practical moral problems. |
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Authors:
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Jeff McMahan |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Bioethics Volume: 9 ISSN: 0269-9702 ISO Abbreviation: Bioethics Publication Date: 1995 Apr |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 1995-12-21 Completed Date: 1995-12-21 Revised Date: 2007-11-15 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 8704792 Medline TA: Bioethics Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 91-126 Citation Subset: E |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Beginning of Human Life Brain Brain Death* Brain Diseases Brain Injuries Cognition Comprehension Death* Embryo, Mammalian Euthanasia Euthanasia, Active Euthanasia, Passive Humans Individuality* Life Persistent Vegetative State Personhood* Philosophy Self Concept |
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