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Reexamining death. The asymptotic model and a bounded zone definition
1Division of Medical Ethics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA.
The Hastings Center Report
|July 1, 1995
Summary
Life and death are not a strict dichotomy but a progressive process. This model of dying, as a zone of residual life states, better aligns with moral intuition and guides care for the dying.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Philosophy of Medicine
- End-of-Life Care Research
Background:
- Traditional Western thought frames life and death as a binary opposition.
- This dichotomy oversimplifies the complex biological and philosophical realities of the dying process.
Observation:
- The cessation of life is not instantaneous but a gradual transition.
- Observing the dying process reveals a spectrum of residual life states.
Findings:
- A new model conceptualizes dying as a bounded zone of residual life states.
- This progressive cessation model offers a more descriptively accurate understanding of the end of life.
Implications:
- This framework better aligns with ethical considerations and moral intuition regarding end-of-life care.
- It provides a more sensitive basis for guiding actions and interventions for individuals who are dying.