Final answer:
Margaret Lock's article explores the cultural construction of brain death and how it is intertwined with social, ethical, and legal issues. Cultural values significantly influence perceptions of a 'good' or 'bad' death, as seen in different societies. Damien Hirst's artwork adds to the discussion of death in contemporary culture and its impact on health and legal practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The article by Margaret Lock, Inventing a new death and making it believable, discusses the cultural construction of brain death as a new criterion for death. This conversation is deeply tied to social and ethical issues, as well as the intersection with law and medicine. The definition and acceptance of brain death vary across cultures and have legal implications, as demonstrated in the cases of Terri Schiavo and other individuals kept on life support.
Folk taxonomies and death perception are profoundly influenced by cultural values and beliefs. For instance, in some cultures, a "good death" is defined by the achievements and age of the individual, and the rituals performed post-death may be important for the deceased to become an ancestor. Conversely, a "bad death" is often seen as tragic and untimely, failing to fulfill the culturally-valued life course.
Artwork such as Damien Hirst's The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living further explores the theme of death and its perception, bringing contemporary art into the conversation about these deep-seated cultural ideas. The ongoing dialogue surrounding death and its meanings within societies is not only an artistic and philosophical discussion but one that involves concrete implications in healthcare and legal domains.