Continuing distinctions and clarifications: organ harvesting and euthanasia

Last updated on: November 24, 2008 at 9:58 am by Pia de Solenni

Continuing distinctions and clarifications: organ harvesting and euthanasia 2008-11-24T09:58:50-07:00 Pia de Solenni

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The criteria of “brain death” are generally accepted as a medical standard and a marker for terminating life support and/or harvesting organs. But perhaps the standard is not such a given

I have to say that I’m glad to see that there’s ongoing discussion about the concept of brain death. While I’m not a medical doctor, I do understand the definition and find it very troubling, even presumptuous. That said, it’s a concept that’s treated as undeniable…until (or perhaps when) emotions come into play. People have a hard time accepting that the living and breathing body of a loved one is truly dead simply because their brain functions have ceased or are undetectable.

Underlying the entire issue is the question of what it means to be alive and what it means to be human.
I don’t intend to answer those questions in this small space, but I do offer for your consideration this interesting piece by Sandro Magister which details some developments which suggest that the conversation has not ended.

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