Death in advance or people living with dementia? Extending the philosophical discourse of Schweda and Jongsma through the persistence of self and other strengths

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

3-24-2025

Journal

History and philosophy of the life sciences

Volume

47

Issue

2

DOI

10.1007/s40656-025-00664-8

Keywords

Alzheimer’s disease; Dementia; Personhood; Positioning theory; Social construction theory; Stigma

Abstract

This article presents an extension of an article previously featured in History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences by Schweda and Jongsma (History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences, 2022), who aptly (1) critiqued the "Zombification" of people living with dementia by reviewing the historic and philosophic origins of this damaging metaphor and (2) offered a life course perspective to highlight the ethical implications related to biomedicine and the life sciences. Herein, we aim to build upon and constructively critique the important discourse offered by Schweda and Jongsma by (1) presenting a transdisciplinary perspective highlighting many important remaining social and cognitive abilities of people living with dementia that (2) further informs philosophical discussion and (3) provides ways of helping people diagnosed as well as formal and informal caregivers to live with dementia rather than enduring the damaging and incorrect "living death" notion, and its ramifications, of the syndrome. In the process, we will explore many inherent harms associated with the "zombie-like" construction of the syndrome: harms that entail dysfunctional treatment of people living with dementia. Specifically, we will draw upon evidence from psychology, sociology, philosophy, neurology, and neuroscience, to provide an integrated, whole-person perspective that adds specific dimensions to the life-course perspective and support the necessary multifaceted interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and clinical collaborations for this complex issue.

Department

Clinical Research and Leadership

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