When does life end? Consensus and controversy in defining death.

Abstract

After more than fifty years of debate on the definition of death, there remains no consensus among bioethicists. This article identifies the conflicting interests represented by various groups within the bioethics community as the primary cause of this stalemate. It argues that the impasse can be overcome if bioethicists recognize these conflicting interests as the fundamental reason for their disagreements, rather than viewing the dispute as primarily concerning the scientifically adequate concept of death. This article proposes a strategy on how to reach a consensus. The core idea in this regard is that the definition of death, in a socially important sense, needs to protect the interests of individual members of society.