Redefenition And Determination Of Death
DEATH can be taken as an advantage or disadvantage, a blessing or a curse. It is an advantage or blessing as one is aware of his approaching death and can prepare himself for it. It is a disadvantage or a curse as since one is aware of approaching death, he realizes that human existence is pointless, which makes him unhappy, anxious and anguished.
DEATH is both a certainty and uncertainty at the same time, that is, we know we are going to die, but we don’t know when, how, and where.
No person can die by proxy. We cannot die the death of another, we die our own death. Death is therefore a human experience.
At the moment we are born, our journey towards death starts. How long our journey takes depends upon how we carry our load. Our strength, power, riches and social position are of no avail when we die.
THE NEED TO REDEFINE DEATH
To redefine death means to know the exact point in time when a person is dead. There are two reasons why we need to redefine death:
1. There is a widespread and increasing use of new devices for prolonging life.
Life-sustaining devices prolong life or even save a person’s life from near death. But there are situations when instead of which, we are only prolonging the dying process hence prolongs the suffering of the dying person.
We don’t need these devices if only we can determine the exact point in time when a person is dead. There are three reasons for this:
- it is expensive
- to eliminate the suffering of the dying individual
- so that these life-support machines can be used by patients who have better chances of survival
2. There is a great demand for cadaver organs for transplantations.
There is a higher chance of successful organic transplant if the required organ is removed from the body immediately after death.
DEFINITIONS OF DEATH
1. Physiological definition
A person is dead when the heart has stopped beating.
2. Religious or philosophical definition
Death is the separation of...
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