PHL281H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Brainstem, Organism, Organ Procurement
Document Summary
Death is the irreversible loss of respiration and a heart beat: whole brain account. Organism view - death is the irreversible loss of the functioning of an organism as a whole. Death occurs when there is an irreversible cessation in functioning of the entire brain, including the brain stem: higher brain account. Death is the irreversible loss of the capacity for consciousness. Death occurs when the parts of the brain needed for the capacity for consciousness are permanently damaged, so that the capacity for consciousness is no longer there. Jeff mcmahan - challenges to the whole brain account. Mcmahan: no: argument 1 - brain transplantation. Imagine we could graft your cerebrum (higher brain) to your identical twin"s body. Since we are essentially embodied minds, our death occurs when consciousness is irreversibly lost. But, this can happen while there is still some brain activity. So the whole brain account of death is false.
