Reflection Paper on the Symmetry Between Life and Death (Essay Sample)

Reflection on the Symmetry between Life and Death
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Reflection on the Symmetry between Life and Death
The possibility of a symmetry that exists between the concept of life and death has generated hot debates throughout the world. According Veatch (2003), there is a neurological endpoint of human life. Because of this fact, there is a neurological starting point of life. Because death has been signified by death of brain, then the beginning of life should be signified by the birth of the brain. Veatch (2003) tries to explain the beginning of life by applying symmetry between the processes at the beginning and end of life.
The symmetry dictates that life begins when a person gains consciousness. This is because on the other hand, life ends when a person’s brains stops functioning and hence loses consciousness. However, up-to today, the stage at which brain is fully developed is not known. Various biologists have argued different gestation periods at which an infant’s brain is fully developed and hence the beginning of its life. Therefore, it is difficult to determine when an infant’s life begins, and hence when it should be considered as a living human being. Thus, it is a subject to natural principles of human life.
However, the existence of this symmetry has been challenged. According to Jones (1998), development of brain can be compared to its degeneration. Brain development is a biological growth phenomenon that takes time while brain degeneration refers to loss of brain stem functions that takes a short time. From real life experience, a person’s heart continues beating even after he or she has been declared dead. It only stops beat...