 a medical student speaks out: Sept. 11, 2011 I am a medical student and have dissected several cadavers. I am deeply disturbed by Body Worlds and other such exhibits and the general public acceptance of them. When learning from a cadaver in class, all cadavers are covered, with the only part exposed being the part of which we want to learn from. This helps preserve the body and shows respect for it. I have dissected cadavers in three separate schools. Respect for the cadavers is a must or you will be kicked out of the class. We are not to make jokes about the cadavers, disrespectful remarks, put them in positions for amusement/art (I think we would be expelled if we did that), they are to be nameless, all body parts must stay with the specific cadaver, and we are to only uncover parts being studied. When learning, cadavers are always in anatomical position, not "running" or what ever amusing "artistic" position can be thought up. Learning about the body in this way does not take the individuals dignity or make us value life less, because we are taught to respect it. Since class sizes are small in lab, teachers can rep remand students who attempt to devalue the cadaver. When I first saw the Body World poster I was horrified. I was certain it would be closed down soon when I heard it was claiming to be "science." As I thought, people in science would never allow this disregard and horrendous display of the human body. Now ever day I drive past the bill boards to school and see it and it really makes me sick. It saddens me very much that so many people cannot see how devaluing this is and how much this will make the next generation devalue human life. Amanda Jones St Louis, MO Everywhere you turn an exhibit of real human bodies is about to open up in a shopping mall or a "science" museum. These exhibits, with names such as Body Worlds, Bodies: the Exposition, and Our Bodies, The Universe Within loudly boast that they consist of plasticized real human To defuse our inhibitions and overcome taboos about what may be done with the human body the exhibits claim that they are uniquely educational and that they will inspire people to be more concerned with their health. To questions about the source of the bodies, Body Worlds claims to have obtained permission; other exhibits point to "legal" sources in China(but read the scathing commentary by Eric Heyl). So what's the problem? The problem is not the source of the bodies. Even if there was no doubt on this count, the exhibits are wrong, and nobody can give you permission to do something that is wrong.
Our natural inhibitions make us uncomfortable with the display of the
bodies of the deceased ... It is not always possible or necessary to
come up with a reason why something is wrong, but if I was to single
out one reason, it would be that we show respect for the living by
respecting the remains of the deceased. These exhibits cheapen the
value of life . It is a short step to treating people as objects that
in their turn are not particularly valuable. The plasticized real bodies are very unreal, and deny the reality
of death. Their public display is convenient for gawking but the
purported benefits to science and education originate from Madison
Avenue. Most importantly, although the exhibits try to have it both
ways and claim to be art as well as science, human beings are not works
of art.
Much has been written about these exhibits. An article by Pastor Christoph Reiners which resulted in the Abbotsford BC schools banning field trips influenced me deeply. Norman Lebrecht's article was pungent, and the Dutch philosopher Rob Van Gewen thoroughly discusses the case against as does Rabbi Danny Schiff. Be sure to read Elaine Catz's op-ed
in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Elaine resigned from the Carnegie
Science Center because of her outrage about the exhibit there. Listen
to Linda Schulte-Sass explaining how the exhibit is marketed to American audiences. Also see philosopher Rob Van Gerwen's take on the subject. Professor Van Gerwen discusses whether and when it is permissible to "give" our bodies, human dignity, and whether the proponents or opponents of the exhibits should have the burden of proof. If you review the links above, and the many comments and the many additional links on this site, you will find that some opponents invoke religion, and some do not. There are some things that we know are wrong instinctively, and the display of plasticized human bodies for the titillation of the public is one of them. Aaron Ginsburg Natick, Massachusetts, USA left: Memorial to the unknown Chinese Amsterdam above: poster by Frank Shifreen |
