The Definition of Death

The editors of this important volume are to be congratulated for bringing together such an authoritative group of eminent scholars to discuss and debate every aspect of one of the most challenging medical, philosophical, legal, and religious problems of our time. Together, they have produced an immensely valuable book that will be quoted for years to come, wherever this debate rages-which is everywhere. -- Sherwin B. Nuland, M.D.Yale University School of Medicine, author of How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter

Throughout, the contributors struggle to reconcile inconsistencies and gaps in our traditional understanding of death and to respond to the public's concern that, in the determination of death under current policies, patients' interests may be compromised by the demand for organ retrieval.The Definition of Death: Contemporary Controversies is the first comprehensive review of the clinical, philosophical, and public policy implications of our effort to redefine the change in status from living person to corpse. It is the result of a collaboration among internationally recognized scholars from the fields of medicine, philosophy, social science, law, and religious studies. Throughout, the contributors struggle to reconcile inconsistencies and gaps in our traditional understanding of death and to respond to the public's concern that, in the determination of death under current policies, patients' interests may be compromised by the demand for organ retrieval.