Definitions of Death and Medical Marginalization
Author:
Benjamin Barkofsky ’26Co-Authors:
Faculty Mentor(s):
Katherine, Ward – PhilosophyFunding Source:
Humanities FellowshipAbstract
In this project, I examine how the medical establishment developed its definition of death in order to argue for a more pluralistic approach to end-of-life decision making. I analyze competing definitions of death–including higher brain death, whole-brain death, and cardiopulmonary death–and explore the considerations that led the medical community to adopt whole-brain death as the accepted definition. I focus on the controversy surrounding Jahi McMath, an African-American girl, and the difficulty her family faced when they rejected the whole-brain definition of death to show that, in the medical field, brain death is not currently understood through a pluralistic approach, and it is a view that reflects white secular values of the medical establishment. I provide a brief history on the racism, mistreatment, and marginalization of African-Americans in the medical field that has limited their participation in defining core concepts within the medical field. I discuss strategies for creating a more inclusive approach to clinical decision making. Brain death is one aspect of the medical field, but it provides evidence of a much larger, systemic issue that must continue to be addressed. In order for our society to become more inclusive and progressive, we should allow people to choose between whole brain death and cardiopulmonary definitions of death, in order to accommodate the values and concerns of a broad range of patients.