DEFINITIONS OF DEATH

LEGAL-MEDICAL DEFINITION
RELIGIOUS DEFINITION
EXISTENTIAL DEFINITION
 LEGAL MEDICAL DEFINITION
On August 1968, The Journal of the American Medical Association
released “A definition of Irreversible Coma,” the report of the Ad Hoc
Committee of the Harvard Medical School to Examine the Definition of
Brain Death, where death is defined from its traditional cardio-pulmonary
bases to a neurological based definition.

Why is it important to
have a clear legal
definition for Death?

Answer:
Because, someone’s freedom, autonomy and ultimately
life, may be violated as a result of negligence or abuse by
medical professionals.
REPUBLIC ACT 7170 OR KNOWN AS ORGAN DONATION
ACT OF 1991, SECTION 2, PARAGRAPH (J)

(j) Death- the irreversible

cessation of circulatory and
respiratory functions or the
irreversible cessation of all
functions of the entire brain,
including the brain stem. A
person shall be medically and
legally dead if either:
REPUBLIC ACT 7170 OR KNOWN AS ORGAN DONATION
ACT OF 1991, SECTION 2, PARAGRAPH (J)
(1)In the opinion of the attending
physician, based on the acceptable
standards of medical practice, there is
an absence of natural respiratory and
cardiac functions and, attempts of
resuscitation would not be successful
in restoring those functions. In this
case, death shall be deemed to have
occurred at the time those functions
ceased; or
 (2) In the opinion of the consulting
physician, concurred in by the
attending physician, that on the basis
of acceptable standards of medical
practice, there is an irreversible
cessation of all brain function, and
considering the absence of such
functions, further attempts at
resuscitation or continued supportive
maintenance would not be successful
in restoring such natural functions. In this
case, death shall be deemed to have
occurred at the time when these
conditions first appeared.
 The death of the person shall
be determined in accordance
with the acceptable medical
practice and shall be diagnosed
separately by the attending and
another consulting physician,
both of whom must be
appropriately qualified and
suitably experienced in the care
of such patients. The death shall
be recorded in the patient’s
medical record.
Death is now defined as a TRANSITION – a
shift from earthly life to the life after (earthly)
death.

Life is seen as a cycle of birth and rebirth. In a

process called reincarnation from Dharmic or
Indian religions like Budhism, Hinduism, Jainism
and Sikhism.
 The belief in afterlife presupposes that there is
something in the human person which persist
after death. This something is conceived as the
core of the human person and it typically has
the characteristics of immorality; this is usually
attributed to the soul.
 The existentialist are
against the idea of the
afterlife as the central aspect
of death primarily because it
takes away the focus of the
person to what is actual and
concrete – to human
existence.

William Shakespeare’s
Hamlet, who uttered the
popular phrase “To be, or not
to be…” is indeed posing an
existential question regarding
death.
 The afterlife is not a concern
of for an existentialist, because it is
not concrete.
The challenge of the existentialist
is to face thee real possibility of
non-being, the possibility that
when we die, life is over, that is,
that we simply cease to be, that
we are no longer. Then if we
accept death as the possibility of
our non existence, then w are
inevitably lead back to what is
actual, concrete and present –
the here and now.
AS AN ETHICAL ISSUE
1. Suicide - Intentional termination of
one’s life.
a. Theological Ethics – Thou shalt
not kill.
b. Natural Disposition of Self
Preservation- As human beings we are
not born with the inclination to
terminate our lives, but inclination to
preserve.
The Vatican declares: Intentionally
causing ones own death, or suicide, is
therefore equally wrong as murder;
such as an action on the part of a
person is to be considered as a
rejection of God’s sovereignty and
loving plan. Furthermore, suicide, is also
often a refusal of love for self , the
denial of a natural instinct to love, a
flight from duties of justice and charity
owed to ones neighbor, to various
communities, or to the whole society…
2. Euthanasia - The practice of killing someone who
is very sick or very badly injured to prevent further
suffering.
It came from Greek word euthanatos, which
means easy death.

In April 2002, Netherlands became the first country

to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Medical-legal argument
Theological argument
Psychological argument
3. Abortion- An act which intends to bring
about the death of a fetus for the sake of the
woman who carries it.
 Identifying the object of our fear of dying can help
us to do something about it while we can. Death
reminds us to live. It invites us to see the value of what
we have and of what we are. So live, For as they say –
you only live once.
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF
THE HUMAN PERSON

NATURE AND HISTORY METHODS OF HUMAN PERSON AS AN

OF PHILOSOPHY PHILOSOPHIZING EMBODIED SUBJECT

HUMAN PERSON THEIR HUMAN PERSON

HUMAN PERSON IN FREEDOM AND TOWARDS THEIR
THEIR ENVIRONMENT MORALITY IMPENDING DEATH