Citation

Moschella M. J. Med. Philos. 2016; 41(3): 279-299.

Affiliation

The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA moschella@cua.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Society for Health and Human Values, Publisher University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1093/jmp/jhw006

PMID

27095749

Abstract

This article explains the problems with Alan Shewmon's critique of brain death as a valid sign of human death, beginning with a critical examination of his analogy between brain death and severe spinal cord injury. The article then goes on to assess his broader argument against the necessity of the brain for adult human organismal integration, arguing that he fails to translate correctly from biological to metaphysical claims. Finally, on the basis of a deeper metaphysical analysis, I offer a revised rationale for the validity of the neurological criterion of human death.

© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Language: en