Against the re-definition of death

The diagnosis of death by the use of brain death criteria is a familiar practice in modern Western medicine, especially in ICUs, where the function of the heart and lungs is artificially maintained. In other countries, notably Japan, brain death criteria are not accepted. In this article, which was presented in the Japanese Dept. at Monash University on April 11, 1993, Prof. Iida argues against the "brain-death" definition of death. His argument is based on the role of the immune system, and not just the nervous system, in keeping an organism functioning as an integrated individual. He concludes that those who are declared brain-dead in ICUs are not in fact dead.