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Death and irreversibility.

Egonsson, Dan LU (2009) 5th International Symposium of the Definition of Death Network In Reviews in the Neurosciences 20(3-4). p.275-281
Abstract
The concept of irreversibility plays a central role in most discussions of how to understand and determine human death. This seems to relativize death, since the possibilities of reversal will always depend on circumstance. I discuss the conceptual problems created by this fact, arguing that their seriousness depends on whether we take our conception of death to be a definition or criterion. Relativity is probably not fatal in a definition of death; it might even be desirable in a policy criterion. The concept of permanence is no less philosophically problematic in this context than irreversibility.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
permanence, relativity, irreversibility, criteria, death, definitions
in
Reviews in the Neurosciences
volume
20
issue
3-4
pages
275 - 281
publisher
Freund Publishing House Ltd
conference name
5th International Symposium of the Definition of Death Network
conference location
Varadero Beach, Cuba
conference dates
2008-05-20 - 2008-05-23
external identifiers
  • pmid:20157997
  • scopus:75649106793
  • wos:000273232900013
ISSN
0334-1763
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b229852b-475d-4e5c-ab52-e337c4df2c9a (old id 1552633)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20157997?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:48:56
date last changed
2022-02-26 23:15:31
@article{b229852b-475d-4e5c-ab52-e337c4df2c9a,
  abstract     = {{The concept of irreversibility plays a central role in most discussions of how to understand and determine human death. This seems to relativize death, since the possibilities of reversal will always depend on circumstance. I discuss the conceptual problems created by this fact, arguing that their seriousness depends on whether we take our conception of death to be a definition or criterion. Relativity is probably not fatal in a definition of death; it might even be desirable in a policy criterion. The concept of permanence is no less philosophically problematic in this context than irreversibility.}},
  author       = {{Egonsson, Dan}},
  issn         = {{0334-1763}},
  keywords     = {{permanence; relativity; irreversibility; criteria; death; definitions}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3-4}},
  pages        = {{275--281}},
  publisher    = {{Freund Publishing House Ltd}},
  series       = {{Reviews in the Neurosciences}},
  title        = {{Death and irreversibility.}},
  url          = {{http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20157997?dopt=Abstract}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}