A New Defense of Brain Death as the Death of the Human Organism

Abstract

This paper provides a new rationale for equating brain death with the death of the human organism, in light of well-known criticisms made by Alan D Shewmon, Franklin Miller and Robert Truog and a number of other writers. We claim that these criticisms can be answered, but only if we accept that we have slightly redefined the concept of death when equating brain death with death simpliciter. Accordingly, much of the paper defends the legitimacy of redefining death against objections, before turning to the specific task of defending a new rationale for equating brain death with death as slightly redefined.

Keywords: Alan D. Shewmon; biological death; brain death; brainstem death; concepts of death; death by neurological criteria; integrated functioning; organism as a whole.