Feinberg The Mistreatment Of Dead Bodies Analysis

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According to a survey conducted by the Ecology Global Network, in the article “Birth and Death Rates,” it sates on average, 151,600 people die each day. In addition, an article by The American Transplant Foundation, titled “Facts and Myths,” states that at minimum, 21 people out of 123,000 men, women and children on the organ transplant list join the death rate every day. Incidentally, a single person can donate their body and save up to 8 lives. Thus if 20,000 of the 151,600 deceased donated their body, less people in need of a transplant would die. Instead, out of 151,600 deaths only a little over 8,500 deceased were donated. Though the quantity of people dying outweighs the amount people in need of new organs, there appears to be a lack …show more content…
Philosopher Joel Feinberg, addresses this point of view in his article, “The Mistreatment of Dead Bodies.” He states that people develop a “sentimental value” for human life, and a lifeless body, despite being dead, still “symbolizes” life. Thus, a “dead body” refers to our humanity, and when its mistreated in any distasteful manner, its reflect on our respect for humankind. Feinberg argues that this fashions a “moral trap” that inhibits people from looking at a cadaver as a just decaying tissue. Moreover, this perspective causes many people to disagree with how cadaver are, and should be, used, overall grounding some individuals to side against donating their bodies. It’s appears that however a cadaver is treated, many people reflect onto themselves, overall distorting their care for how cadavers benefit society. Individuals show empathy for cadavers because they see the treatment of a dead body and mirror the acts onto themselves. Self-realization is one of the unique quality that make us human. In that, many people recognize what happens after death, forcing them to face the reality that they themselves are not immortal and will die. This overall mindset stumps people making them uncomfortable. Rather than face reality, people find excuses to justify their

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