Human Bodies

Abstract

Part I involved a discussion of the medical world, and how extraordinary it is. In this chapter, I want to take this issue further by looking at just how extraordinary the attitude to human bodies is in that medical world. By looking at the meaning of bodies, alive and dead, I am again contrasting my account to the biomedical account of the body as studied by doctors. This investigation is not merely of esoteric interest. If I am right, then it will have certain profound implications for the communication between doctors and patients about treatment decisions, and between doctors and relatives about the bodies of the deceased. This latter point is especially important because of the recent scandal surrounding the covert retention of organs at the Alder Hey Hospital.