Defining
Life and Death
Saturday,
January 21, 2006, from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Through
advances in medical science, we have the technical capability
to sustain life in states of sickness for an indefinite period
of time. At the same time we have no general agreement, as
a society, about whether it is appropriate to keep people
alive in a near-death state of illness or in a state so highly
impaired that the patient cannot ever again interact with
others. The legal drama concerning Terri Schiavo did not
resolve this question, but brought several issues into sharper
focus: What is the state of medical science and practice
in today's hospitals? What is the role of patients, family
and physicians in end of life issues?
This forum
addressed these fundamental life and death questions as well
as offers different expert opinions on the ethical issues
that arise in our path from life to death. How can we better
define proper end of life transitions - for ourselves, for
critically ill loved ones, for others?
Panelists:
- Geoffrey
Cowan—Dean, Annenberg School for Communication,
University of Southern California—serves as
moderator for the panel discussion.
- Reverend
Cecil L. “Chip” Murray—Tanzy
Chair of Christian Ethics, Senior Fellow at the Center
for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern
California and Pastor emeritus, First African Methodist
Episcopal Church—discusses the moral issues
and ethical implications of end of life care from a religious
perspective, focusing on the sanctity of life in all
its forms.
- Shirley
Otis-Green—Senior Research Specialist,
Nursing Research and Education Department, City of Hope
National Medical Center .
- Dr.
Neil S. Wenger—Professor, General
Internal Medicine, UCLA Department of Medicine and
Chair, UCLA Medical Center Ethics Committee—discusses
what happens to patients sustained in gravely ill states,
and the medical decisions that need to be addressed at
various stages of decline.
- Dr.
Jay Wolfson—Professor of Public Health
and Medicine, and Associate Vice President of Health
Law, Policy and Safety, University of South Florida;
Professor of Law Health, Stetson University College of
Law; and Professor of Medicine, Florida State University—discusses
the legal options and ethical issues related to end of
life care. In 2003 a Florida court appointed him to be
Terri Schiavo's special guardian ad litem reporting
to the Governor and the courts on the neurological capacities
disputed by Ms. Schiavo's husband and her parents.
Click
here to download Shirley Otis-Green's PowerPoint presentation
(2.8 MB).
Video
Broadcast :
A
television broadcast of this
Science Matters presentation from channel LA36 can
now be viewed
online.
Art & Science Program
Art
& Science Seminar :
In
conjunction with the panel presentation, a more intimate
round-table seminar explored the definition of life through
Plato's Phaedo, a
moving account of Socrates' final conversations about the
meaning of life and death with friends, on the day of his
execution. Phaedo remains one of Plato's most enduring
dialogues, through which we can reflect on our own beliefs
about life, death and the human soul.
For
more information on the Art & Science
program, and an opportunity to participate in our Online
Journal discussion, please visit www.ArtAndScienceStudio.org.
A
Special Exhibit:
A
special exhibit developed by the Dallas Museum of Art entitled After
Life complemented the panel discussion and seminar
by exploring perceptions of death and dying among diverse
world cultures through art. The exhibit will be featured
at the Science Center from January 21 through April, 2006
Resources for Further Reading
Websites
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