Organismal Superposition and Death

Perspect Biol Med. 2024;67(1):22-30. doi: 10.1353/pbm.2024.a919708.ABSTRACTOrganismal superposition holds that the same individual both is and is not an organism, as a consequence of organismal pluralism. When coupled with the assumption that death is the cessation of an organism, this entails that there is no unique answer as to whether brain death is biological death. This essay argues that concerns about organismal pluralism and superposition do not undermine a theory of biological death, nor entail any metaphysical indeterminacy about the biological vital status of a brain-dead individual.PMID:38662061 | DOI:10.1353/pbm.2024.a919708
Source: Perspectives in Biology and Medicine - Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Source Type: research