Hi! Thanks for a very interesting question.
In researching and preparing for a debate on the topic of death, I
highly suggest that you first examine the different viewpoints on the
concept of death. In order to get a better background of the
historical concepts of death, landmark cases about the issue would be
very helpful in your arguments as well.
I will provide small snippets from the articles that answer your
questions but I highly recommend that you read them in their entirety
to get a better coverage.
Some documents are also in PDF format so you will need a reader like
Adobe Acrobat to access the file. In case you haven’t installed it yet
in your PC you may download it here
(http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html).
Our first link provides the different viewpoints of death.
Religious:
“Granted that living starts at conception, so does the countdown in
the organism’s march towards the ultimate event of death. Science’s
acceptance that the scriptural idea of the finite number of heartbeats
or breaths that a person or an animal is allotted in his or her
lifetime may be right, reveals as a direct consequence that a
heartbeat or a single act of breathing, while demonstrating the
process of living is at the same time an act irretrievably lost
towards the process of dying.”
Medical:
a. “Death as a physiological process”
“The science of physiology (from physik’e = the science of nature) has
been defined as ‘the philosophy of function in living matter,
encompassed in this philosophy being the study of factors responsible
for the origin, development and progression of life.’ In this
definition, the bias towards living and life is clear; no wonder death
as a subject does not enjoy a place in physiology texts, and an
authoritative medical encyclopaedia accords it no mention at all.”
b. “Cellular bases of disease and death”
“The nearly 6000 billion cells that comprise a human being may be
broadly classified into two groups: the short-lived dividing cells,
and the perennial or immortal non-dividing cells. To the former group
belong the blood cells, blood vessel cells, skin cells, kidney cells
and so on, which together form the supporting complex mediating the
respiratory, circulatory, nutritive, excretory and reproductive
functions. The ‘immortal’ group perennial complex comprises the
sensory receptors, nerve cells and the muscle cells which in concert
constitute the essence of an individual, being the seat of his
affective, cognitive, and conative faculties.”
c. Brain Death
“This intellectual compromise, the definition of convenience labelled
‘brain-death’, is made in the face of the facts that (a) except for
the surface areas of the cerebral hemispheres, the rest of the brain
is neither inactive nor dead; (b) the major systems of circulation,
respiration, digestion, excretion and even reproduction are alive and
actively functioning, and (c) because of (b) all the vital signs are
present. The unmistakable imprints of individuality - the physiognomy,
the finger prints, the immune system actively opposed to any foreign
protein in the form of microbes or a graft - are all untouched in
brain-death.”
“DEATH: DESIGN AND DEFINITION”
http://www.healthlibrary.com/reading/living/chap4.htm
Biology:
“In biology, the scientists come across with words like a) suspended
animation, b) aestivation and c) hibernation (3). In these
physiological states, the invertebrates and vertebrates undergo
temporary arrest of the metabolic activities and the animals revive to
active state after some time, either months or seasons.”
“Bioethics in India: Proceedings of the International Bioethics
Workshop in Madras”
http://www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/~macer/india/bii11.html
So in your question, when is death… death?
Our last article provided a short answer of it as well but let us go
to some more links, which discusses them at greater length. The debate
of what constitute as death is a very hotly contested one in society.
“Death is, and is usually thought of, as the permanent cessation of
any possible voluntary movement or activity, or of any self-initiated
or self-contained or self-activated movement or activity of the body
(except, again, for decay, hair growth, etc.) or of any perceptions,
thoughts or feelings that seem to be associated with, or that require,
that body.”
“The important, difficult, but entirely empirical question is not what
death is then, but when it can be known or confirmed to first occur.
When does a person's body first, for certain, enter that state in
which it cannot do anything "important" (meaning to include
associations or activities involving thinking and perceiving, and
meaning to exclude merely nail/hair growth, decay) on its own and can
never do anything "important" again, and is starting to decay if left
on its own? This is important for the courts, doctors, etc. to
determine so that individual organs can be removed which could be put
into a different, still living body that will sustain their
functioning.”
“The Definition of Death”
http://www.garlikov.com/philosophy/deathdef.htm
Our next link meanwhile presents the landmark cases and laws defining
the concept of death.
“Definition of Death: History”
http://216.239.57.100/search?q=cache:DdJbOpNsFj0C:bbh.hhdev.psu.edu/courses/311/Susman%2520Fall%25202002/301Lecture-2.doc+definition+death+history&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
In case you would like to read on the historical cases mentioned
above, our next three articles would be of help.
“MATTER OF QUINLAN”
http://www.csulb.edu/~jvancamp/452_r6.html
“NANCY CRUZAN”
http://www.who2.com/nancycruzan.html
The Case of Nancy Cruzan and other Death Cases are mentioned here as
well:
http://www.togopeacefully.com/HISTORY.html
Search terms used:
Scientific definition death history
I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information.
Thanks for visiting us.
Regards,
Easterangel-ga
Google Answers Researcher |
