Death: A National University Exploration PDF

Education that works  Education that works What makes you scared of Death?  Education that works Death  Education that works WHAT IS THE MEDICAL DEFINITION OF DEATH? Irreversible coma (b...

Education that works  Education that works What makes you scared of Death?  Education that works Death  Education that works WHAT IS THE MEDICAL DEFINITION OF DEATH? Irreversible coma (brain dead) is now the accepted medical criterion for death. Death is no longer just the absence of heartbeat and breathing. Thus, there is a shift from the old cardio-pulmonary criterion of death to the neurological criterion of death. A patient who is breathing and whose heart is functioning through medical machines, may no longer have any brain activity; which according to the new definition, is already dead.  Education that works WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE A CLEAR LEGAL-MEDICAL DEFINITION?  Education that works Providing a clear legal-medical definition of death in the time of life-extending machines and organ transplants is very important among medical and legal practitioners because of the possible criminal and civil liability of medical authorities. These may range from prematurely declaring the death of someone so that the functional organs may be harvested for transplant; to refusing the removal of life- support to a patient who is brain dead for a long period of time. Education that works  Education that works Death in the context of religion Death for most, if not all, religions is not simply a biological and medical incident where the brain or the vital organs stop functioning. Thebelief in an afterlife changes the way people see death. Because of an afterlife, death is now defined as a transition. Education that works  Education that works Existential Definition of Death The transition from being to non-being. “To be—to exist” means to have possibilities; while “not to be—not to exist” means to lose all the possibilities. As long as a person is alive, he is a temporal being with possibilities.  Education that works Death As an Ethical Issue  Education that works SUICIDE Suicide is generally considered a morally impermissible act. Suicide is wrong based on the perspective of natural law because man’s natural disposition is self – preservation. According to the theological argument, “Thou shalt not kill.” (6th Commandment) God gave us life and He intends it to be preserved. Education that works  Education that works EUTHANASIA This is also called mercy killing. Euthanasia can either be active or passive, depending of the method. Itcan also be voluntary, involuntary, or non- voluntary, depending on the consent of the patient. But what makes euthanasia wrong?  Education that works EUTHANASIA: MEDICAL-LEGAL ARGUMENT Euthanasia contradicts the role of physicians. To initiate the termination of life will be against any physician’s fundamental moral and professional commitment, which is to take care of patients and to protect their lives.  Education that works EUTHANASIA: THEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT The theological argument basically claims that euthanasia is administered killing, and God does not allow killing. God gave us life and only God can take it away. Permitting euthanasia devalues God’s gift of life together with the dignity of human life.  Education that works EUTHANASIA: PSYCHOLOGICAL ARGUMENT A dying person may feel pressured to opt for euthanasia because the patient may feel guilt in considering himself a burden to his family and to the medical personnel taking care of him. They will look at euthanasia as the only way out of the problem. Education that works  Education that works ABORTION This is defined as an act which intends to bring about the death of a fetus for the sake of the woman who carries it. According to some justifications, abortion becomes moral if the child will not have a bright future because of biological defects.  Education that works ETHICS OF KILLING: IS KILLING WRONG? In euthanasia, suicide, and abortion, all death result from killing. Killing is intrinsically wrong because promotes pre- mature death. Killing deprives us from our future.  Education that works DEATH Death as an Existential Issue  Education that works EXISTENTIALISM “Existence precedes essence.” 1. The otherworld realm is not the focal point of philosophy. 2. The concern for human finitude and temporality is intensified. 3. Addressing anxiety becomes one of the main concerns of any human person. a. We become anxious over the idea of our non-existence. b. The realization that we are free to define who we are.  Education that works According to Existentialists, we realize the importance and value of life when we recognize death as our own possibility. Death is caused by anxiety because it has no object, anchored to the unknown. There two ways in dealing with anxiety based on the ideas of Existentialism, faces it or run away from it.  Education that works OTHERWORLD Friedrich Nietzsche criticized the existence of the afterlife for it takes away man’s focus on the things that are concrete. Any form of outworldly realm is nothing but a fiction and a distraction from human affairs. Nietzsche criticized the existence of the afterlife for it takes away man’s focus on the things that are concrete.  Education that works OTHERWORLD Soren Kierkegaard is considered as the Father of Existentialism. After life is the concern of faith and not the concern of reason.  Education that works ANXIETY Many existential thinkers considers death as the root of anxiety. According to Paul Tillich “Anxiety is the existential awareness of non-being. Existential in this sentence means that it is not the abstract knowledge of non-being which produces anxiety but the awareness that non- being is a part of one’s own being.”  Education that works Imagine if there is no death—everyone is immortal—what will people do with their lives?  Education that works MEANING OF LIFE IN DEATH The recognition of death as our own possibility can help us realize the importance and value of our life. Death reminds us to live and it invites us to see the value of what we have and of what we are.