course hero agreement as to what constitutes human death phil

by Torrance Jaskolski 6 min read

What is the definition of death in the case of a human being in possession of a functioning brain?

What is the philosophical inquiry of death? answer : How can we determine that it has occurred?

What is the definition of death?

How to determine if someone is dead?

Why must each answer invoke a standard of death?

What is the progressive alternative to consciousness?

Is brain failure necessary for death?

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Death Definitions | What does death mean? | Best 39 Definitions of Death

Define death. Death as a noun means Civil death..

Death | definition of death by Medical dictionary

Death Definition Death is defined as the cessation of all vital functions of the body including the heartbeat, brain activity (including the brain stem), and breathing. Description Death comes in many forms, whether it be expected after a diagnosis of terminal illness or an unexpected accident or medical condition. Terminal illness When a terminal ...

Death Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

death: [noun] a permanent cessation of all vital (see vital 2a) functions : the end of life — compare brain death. an instance of dying.

Definitions of death: brain death and what matters in a person

Ray D. Madoff, Immortality And The Law: The Rising Power Of The American Dead 37 (2010) (‘This statute [UDDA] has been adopted in forty-three states. States that have not adopted the Uniform Definition of Death Act have either adopted their own statutes or developed case law that allows the use of brain death as a standard for death.

Death: Philosophy definitions

Philosophers and death: In antiquity, Epicureanism literally pulverizes and removes the concept of death: death is nothing. The position of Epicurus is updated to modern times, for Sartre, who spurned the idea of death, as Heidegger tries to find her deep in our experience.. Bits of Latin, death means the end of life, the physical cessation of life.

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PHIL Questions & Answers

Please refer to the attachment to answer this question. This question was created from Essay #3 (1).docx.

What is the definition of death in the case of a human being in possession of a functioning brain?

An advocate could respond by introducing a modified definition: In the case of any human being in possession of a functioning brain, death is the irreversible cessation of functioning of the entire brain.

What is the philosophical inquiry of death? answer : How can we determine that it has occurred?

The philosophical investigation of human death has focused on two overarching questions: (1) What is human death? and (2) How can we determine that it has occurred? The first question is ontological or conceptual. An answer to this question will consist of a definition (or conceptualization ). Examples include death as the irreversible cessation of organismic functioning and human death as the irreversible loss of personhood. The second question is epistemological. A complete answer to this question will furnish both a general standard (or criterion ) for determining that death has occurred and specific clinical tests to show whether the standard has been met in a given case. Examples of standards for human death are the traditional cardiopulmonary standard and the whole-brain standard. Insofar as clinical tests are primarily a medical concern, the present entry will address them only in passing.

What is the definition of death?

According to the organismic definition, death is the irreversible loss of functioning of the organism as a whole (Becker 1975; Bernat, Culver, and Gert 1981). Proponents of this approach emphasize that death is a biological occurrence common to all organisms.

How to determine if someone is dead?

In determining whether someone was dead, one could check for a pulse, moisture on a mirror held in front of the mouth, or other indications that the heart and lungs were working. Before the development of respirators and other modern life-supports, a working heart and lungs indicated continuing brainstem function. As we have seen, however, modern life-supports permitted cardiopulmonary function without brain function, setting up a competition between traditional and whole-brain criteria for determining death. Although, as noted above, the whole-brain approach achieved near-consensus status, this approach is increasingly questioned and faces significant difficulties. Its difficulties and those facing the more radical higher-brain alternative have contributed to renewed interest in the traditional approach.

Why must each answer invoke a standard of death?

But why must each answer invoke a standard of death? An alternative would be to adopt an updated traditional standard, which would supply legal criteria for death, while denying that unilateral discontinuation of treatment and organ procurement must await death. To be sure, harvesting vital organs from living patients would require an exception to the dead-donor rule, the social risks of which might well be avoided if death were disaggregated along the lines suggested. But the alternative possibility of separating death from particular “death behaviors” motivates the question of whether there are further grounds for disaggregating death into a process.

What is the progressive alternative to consciousness?

2. A Progressive Alternative: The Higher-Brain Approach. According to the higher-brain standard, human death is the irreversible cessation of the capacity for consciousness . “Consciousness” here is meant broadly, to include any subjective experience, so that both wakeful and dreaming states count as instances.

Is brain failure necessary for death?

Total brain failure, then, is not strictly necessary for human death. A possible rebuttal to this challenge from one who accepts that we are essentially organisms is to argue that the existence of a functioning brain is sufficient for the continued existence of the organism (van Inwagen 1990, 173–174, 180–181).

What did Heraclitus believe?

Heraclitus believed that peace and the absence of conflict should be the goal of all.

Who did Achilles refuse to allow to be taken to Agamemnon?

When Agamemnon sends Talthybius and Eurybates to retrieve Briseis, Achilles refused to allow her to be taken to Agamemnon.

What did Antiphon teach us?

Antiphon taught that we should follow the law of self‑preservation.

What was the primary purpose of ancient myths?

The primary purpose of the ancient myths was to tell entertaining stories.

Who sent Minerva to the Argives?

When the Achaeans begin to ready their ships to return home, Juno sends Minerva to convinces the Argives to refuse to draw their ships into the water.

Is there a universal moral law?

there is a universal moral law known through reason and experience.

What is a course hero?

Course Hero is intended as a supplemental study resource , and using this site in any other manner violates both Course Hero’s Terms of Use and Honor Code. It is the member's responsibility to understand the academic integrity requirements at their institution to ensure that using online study resources such as Course Hero does not violate their ...

How does Course Hero work?

Course Hero is intended as a supplemental study resource, and using this site in any other manner violates both Course Hero’s Terms of Use and Honor Code. It is the member's responsibility to understand the academic integrity requirements at their institution to ensure that using online study resources such as Course Hero does not violate their institution’s honor code. Examples of misuse include but are not limited to: 1 Copying and paste or use of content taken directly from Course Hero and submitting it as one’s own work 2 Uploading any contemporaneous recordings of a class or lecture given by an instructor 3 Using Course Hero study materials or tutors to complete tests or homework assignments when instructed not to use outside help 4 Using Course Hero in any manner that violates your instructor’s or institution's academic honor code

Can you use Course Hero for cheating?

Using Course Hero study materials or tutors to complete tests or homework assignments when instructed not to use outside help. Using Course Hero in any manner that violates your instructor’s or institution's academic honor code. Using Course Hero for cheating or plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated.

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in Solem v. Helm?

In the Solem v. Helm case, the Supreme Court held the defendant's sentence to life without parole for passing a "no account" check was

Which amendment requires factual findings made for the purpose of enhancing a sentence?

The Sixth Amendment requires that factual findings made for the purpose of enhancing a sentence must be made by a:​. Jury. is inflicting nondeadly physical injury as punishment for criminal conduct. Corporal.

What punishment did Bill swallow?

cruel and unusual punishment. Bill, who was forced to swallow chewing tobacco as punishment for chewing it in the boys' bathroom at high school, gets very angry thinking about the incident. He decides to confront the school's principal after a few days, and the discussion gets very heated. During the course of confrontation, Bill strikes ...

What happened to Bill in the boys lab?

He was caught chewing tobacco in the boys' laboratory and sent to the principal's office. As punishment, the principal made him swallow the wad of tobacco, which immediately made Bill throw up. Bill went home and told his parents of the incident, and the next day they contacted a lawyer.

What was Samuel convicted of?

Samuel was tried in federal court and acquitted on the charge of robbing a federally insured bank. He was then convicted in state court for the same offense. The second conviction:

When was the death penalty struck down?

In the 1972 case of Furman v. Georgia, death penalty laws in all states were struck down by the US Supreme Court as

Who testifies that Bill is insane?

Bill's defense attorney calls the school psychiatrist, who testifies that Bill is clinically insane. The effect of this information is that. ... In Apprendi, the Court held that any fact that increases the penalty for the crime charged must be submitted to the jury and proved:​.

What is the definition of death in the case of a human being in possession of a functioning brain?

An advocate could respond by introducing a modified definition: In the case of any human being in possession of a functioning brain, death is the irreversible cessation of functioning of the entire brain.

What is the philosophical inquiry of death? answer : How can we determine that it has occurred?

The philosophical investigation of human death has focused on two overarching questions: (1) What is human death? and (2) How can we determine that it has occurred? The first question is ontological or conceptual. An answer to this question will consist of a definition (or conceptualization ). Examples include death as the irreversible cessation of organismic functioning and human death as the irreversible loss of personhood. The second question is epistemological. A complete answer to this question will furnish both a general standard (or criterion ) for determining that death has occurred and specific clinical tests to show whether the standard has been met in a given case. Examples of standards for human death are the traditional cardiopulmonary standard and the whole-brain standard. Insofar as clinical tests are primarily a medical concern, the present entry will address them only in passing.

What is the definition of death?

According to the organismic definition, death is the irreversible loss of functioning of the organism as a whole (Becker 1975; Bernat, Culver, and Gert 1981). Proponents of this approach emphasize that death is a biological occurrence common to all organisms.

How to determine if someone is dead?

In determining whether someone was dead, one could check for a pulse, moisture on a mirror held in front of the mouth, or other indications that the heart and lungs were working. Before the development of respirators and other modern life-supports, a working heart and lungs indicated continuing brainstem function. As we have seen, however, modern life-supports permitted cardiopulmonary function without brain function, setting up a competition between traditional and whole-brain criteria for determining death. Although, as noted above, the whole-brain approach achieved near-consensus status, this approach is increasingly questioned and faces significant difficulties. Its difficulties and those facing the more radical higher-brain alternative have contributed to renewed interest in the traditional approach.

Why must each answer invoke a standard of death?

But why must each answer invoke a standard of death? An alternative would be to adopt an updated traditional standard, which would supply legal criteria for death, while denying that unilateral discontinuation of treatment and organ procurement must await death. To be sure, harvesting vital organs from living patients would require an exception to the dead-donor rule, the social risks of which might well be avoided if death were disaggregated along the lines suggested. But the alternative possibility of separating death from particular “death behaviors” motivates the question of whether there are further grounds for disaggregating death into a process.

What is the progressive alternative to consciousness?

2. A Progressive Alternative: The Higher-Brain Approach. According to the higher-brain standard, human death is the irreversible cessation of the capacity for consciousness . “Consciousness” here is meant broadly, to include any subjective experience, so that both wakeful and dreaming states count as instances.

Is brain failure necessary for death?

Total brain failure, then, is not strictly necessary for human death. A possible rebuttal to this challenge from one who accepts that we are essentially organisms is to argue that the existence of a functioning brain is sufficient for the continued existence of the organism (van Inwagen 1990, 173–174, 180–181).

Introduction

  • The philosophical investigation of human death has focused on two overarching questions: (1) What is human death? and (2) How can we determine that it has occurred? The first question is ontological or conceptual. An answer to this question will consist of a definition (or conceptualization). Examples include death as the irreversible cessation of ...
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Issues

  • The philosophical issues concerning the correct definition and standard for human death are closely connected to other questions. How does the death of human beings relate to the death of other living things? Is human death simply an instance of organismic death, ultimately a matter of biology? If not, on what basis should it be defined? Whatever the answers to these questions, do…
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Aftermath

  • For the most part, such questions did not clamor for public attention until well into the twentieth century. (For historical background, see Pernick 1999 and Capron 1999, 120124.) Sufficient destruction of the brain, including the brainstem, ensured respiratory failure leading quickly to terminal cardiac arrest. Conversely, prolonged cardiopulmonary failure inevitably led to total, irre…
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Origin

  • Various practical concerns provided further impetus for addressing these issues. (Reflecting these concerns is a landmark 1968 report published by a Harvard Medical School committee led by physician Henry Beecher (Ad Hoc Committee of the Harvard Medical School 1968).) Soaring medical expenditures provoked concerns about prolonged, possibly futile treatment of patients …
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Definition

  • According to the organismic definition, death is the irreversible loss of functioning of the organism as a whole (Becker 1975; Bernat, Culver, and Gert 1981). Proponents of this approach emphasize that death is a biological occurrence common to all organisms. Although individual cells and organs live and die, organisms are the only entities that literally do so without being pa…
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Pathophysiology

  • According to this view, when the entire brain is nonfunctional but cardiopulmonary function continues due to a respirator and perhaps other life-supports, the mechanical assistance presents a false appearance of life, concealing the absence of integrated functioning in the organism as a whole.
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Advantages

  • The whole-brain approach clearly enjoys advantages. First, whether or not the whole-brain standard really incorporates, rather than replacing, the traditional cardiopulmonary standard, the former is at least fairly continuous with traditional practices and understandings concerning human death. Indeed, current law in the American states incorporates both standards into disjun…
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Functions

  • Perhaps more threatening to the whole-brain approach is the growing empirical evidence that total brain failure is not sufficient for human death assuming the latter is construed, as whole-brain advocates generally construe it, as the breakdown of organismic functioning mediated by the brain. Many of our integrative functions, according to the challenge, are not mediated by the …
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Prognosis

  • Another, related problem for the sufficiency of total brain failure for human death arises from reflection on locked-in syndrome. People with locked-in syndrome are conscious, and therefore alive, but completely paralyzed with the possible exception of their eyes. With intensive medical support they can live. The interesting fact for our purposes is that some patients with this syndr…
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Criticisms

  • Some traditional defenders of the cardiopulmonary approach believe that the insufficiency of whole-brain criteria for death is evident not only in exceptional cases, such as those described earlier, but in all cases in which patients with total brain failure exhibit respirator-assisted cardiopulmonary function. Anyone who is breathing and whose heart functions cannot be dead, …
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Significance

  • The judgment that some brain functions are trivial in this context invites a reconsideration of what is most significant about what the human brain does. According to an alternative approach, what is far and away most significant about human brain function is consciousness. A second argumentative strategy in defense of the higher-brain approach claims to appeal to our persona…
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Terminology

  • Unfortunately, the use of terminology in these arguments can be confusing because the same term may be used in different ways and terms are frequently used without precise definition. It is sometimes claimed, for example, that we are essentially persons. But what, exactly, is a person? Some authors (e.g., Engelhardt 1996, Baker 2000) use the term to refer to beings with relatively …
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Example

  • Taking this collection of arguments together, the reasoning might be reconstructed as follows: Therefore,
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Quotes

  • One of the most significant challenges confronting the present approach is to characterize cogently the relationship between one of us and the associated human organism. The relationship is clearly not identitythat is, being one and the same thingbecause the organism originates before the mind, might outlive the mind, and therefore has different persistence conditions. This strongl…
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Goals

  • The idea here is to defend the higher-brain approach on the basis of claims about prudential value (for a discussion, see DeGrazia 2005, 1348). Conscious life, it is argued, is a precondition for virtually everything that we value in our lives. We have an enormous stake in continuing our lives as persons and little or no stake in continuing them when we are permanently unconscious. The …
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Analysis

  • How persuasive is this case for the higher-brain approach? One might challenge the assumption that prudential, as opposed to moral, considerations ought to be decisive in adopting a standard for human death. On the other hand, as suggested in our discussion of the previous argumentative strategy, moral considerations may not favor a particular standard of death exce…
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Diagnosis

  • In determining whether someone was dead, one could check for a pulse, moisture on a mirror held in front of the mouth, or other indications that the heart and lungs were working. Before the development of respirators and other modern life-supports, a working heart and lungs indicated continuing brainstem function. As we have seen, however, modern life-supports permitted cardi…
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Controversy

  • The practice of DCD, which has expanded to several medical centers, has provoked considerable controversy. Critics have charged that in DCD vital organs are removed before patients are really dead, implying that organ procurement kills the patients. Some proponents of the whole-brain approach argue that the patients are not yet dead because only total brain failure (or perhaps th…
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