Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Ethical Issues01:27

Ethical Issues

2.0K
Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
2.0K
Ethical Dilemmas II01:30

Ethical Dilemmas II

2.2K
Resolving an ethical dilemma in healthcare involves a systematic approach that considers every aspect of the issue, respecting both the patient's needs and values and the healthcare professional's ethical obligations. Here are potential steps to resolve an ethical dilemma:
2.2K
Kubler Ross's Stages of Dying01:21

Kubler Ross's Stages of Dying

995
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross significantly advanced psychology's understanding of the process of dying with her influential book, On Death and Dying (1969). She focused on studying terminally ill individuals and outlined five stages commonly experienced when coping with death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
In denial, individuals reject the reality of their condition, often thinking, "This isn't true; I feel fine," as a way to protect themselves from...
995
Personal Choice and Fate Attributions01:19

Personal Choice and Fate Attributions

140
Some individuals interpret life events as a consequence of their personal choices and actions, while others believe that outcomes are dictated by fate or destiny. This divergence in perspective has been examined in psychological and cross-cultural studies, particularly in relation to religious faith and cultural beliefs about causality.Fate and Personal ResponsibilityPeople who emphasize personal responsibility view events as direct consequences of their decisions. For instance, breaking a leg...
140
Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

9.2K
Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the...
9.2K
Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance01:14

Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance

513
Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the...
513

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reconciling Lists of Principles in Bioethics.

The Journal of medicine and philosophy·2020
Same author

Should Institutions Disclose the Names of Employees with Covid-19?

The Hastings Center report·2020
Same author

Organ donor intervention research informed consent - Timing and risk.

American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·2019
Same author

Access to transplantation for persons with intellectual disability: Strategies for nondiscrimination.

American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·2019
Same author

Transplant candidates' perceptions of informed consent for accepting deceased donor organs subjected to intervention research and for participating in posttransplant research.

American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·2019
Same author

Would a Reasonable Person Now Accept the 1968 Harvard Brain Death Report? A Short History of Brain Death.

The Hastings Center report·2018

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 3, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
06:42

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

12.1K

Controversies in defining death: a case for choice.

Robert M Veatch1

  • 1Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University, 3700 O St., NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA. veatchr@georgetown.edu.

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics
|November 16, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Defining death remains controversial after 50 years, with ongoing debates on brain death criteria and accommodating diverse beliefs. Public policy should allow personal choice among whole-brain, cardiocirculatory, or higher-brain definitions of death.

Keywords:
Brain deathBrain death criteriaCirculatory deathConscientious choiceHigher-brain deathWhole-brain death

More Related Videos

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum
04:36

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

Published on: August 5, 2020

4.7K
A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death
07:08

A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death

Published on: June 6, 2025

498

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 3, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
06:42

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

12.1K
Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum
04:36

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

Published on: August 5, 2020

4.7K
A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death
07:08

A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death

Published on: June 6, 2025

498

Area of Science:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Neurology
  • Public Policy

Background:

  • The concept of brain death, proposed 50 years ago, remains a subject of unresolved debate.
  • Six recent controversies highlight persistent disagreements regarding the definition and measurement of brain death.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the ongoing controversies surrounding the definition of death.
  • To analyze the persistent disagreements among different definitional groups.
  • To propose a policy recommendation for defining death.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature and ethical arguments concerning the definition of death.
  • Analysis of controversies related to apnea testing, criteria for brain death, and erroneous testing.
  • Examination of three major groups of death definitions: whole-brain, cardiocirculatory/somatic, and higher-brain.

Main Results:

  • Significant controversies persist regarding apnea testing, selection of brain death criteria, and accuracy of current measurement methods.
  • Disagreement exists on whether standard criteria encompass all brain functions and how to accommodate minority views.
  • Three main groups of death definitions (whole-brain, cardiocirculatory/somatic, higher-brain) show persistent disagreement.

Conclusions:

  • Consensus on a single definition of death for public policy is unlikely due to persistent, reasonable disagreements.
  • Public policy should accommodate individual and surrogate choices among the different valid definitions of death.