Revista médica de Chile
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Revista médica de Chile · May 1996
[Pragmatism versus metaphysics: a controversy about brain death].
The concept of brain death is still controversial. The Chilean case, as a result of a future transplantation law, seem to demonstrate this issue. The aim of this work is to contribute to the debate. ⋯ The metaphysical rejection and the socio-cultural frame of the medical attitude that accepts brain death, are commented. It is concluded that the best defense of metaphysical point of view is the right to exclusion of minorities. Finally, brain death is criticized from a socio-cultural point of view of medical acts as a post-metaphysical concept of "useful death" and because of its relationship with "health production".