Philosophy As Medical Omniscience

From the Associated Press:

The public sees fleeting videotaped images of Terri Schiavo, appearing to many to turn toward her mother's voice and smile. They hear what sound like moans and laughter. They watch her head move up and down, seemingly following the progress of a brightly colored Mickey Mouse balloon. And often they ask: How could anyone conclude but that she is aware of her surroundings?

People in persistent vegetative states ... retain a handful of primitive reflexes that are naturally misinterpreted as conscious behavior.

"The mere noise of walking will make the eyes flicker," said Lawrence J. Schneiderman, a professor at the University of California, San Diego medical school who specializes in the bioethics of medical futility and end-of-life care. "And there may be a grimace, so the relatives will say, 'Oh, she's happy to see me.'"

Here's the question. How does one know that these actions are nothing more than "primitive reflexes" and not actual conscious behavior? These people are materialists who believe that consciousness come from a certain area of the brain. If that part of the brain is damaged then they "naturally" think consciousness no longer exists. All that is left for them is "primitive reflexes." Their philosophy has made the diagnosis not their science.

In February, the AP reported on Feb. 12, 2005 that Sara Scantlin suddenly began to talk. The article states,

"For years, she could only blink her eyes - one blink for "no," two blinks for "yes" - to respond to questions that no one knew for sure she understood ... After two decades of silence, she began talking last month. Doctors are not sure why.
Scantlin still suffers constantly from the effects of the accident. She habitually crosses her arms across her chest, her fists clenched under her chin. Her legs constantly spasm and thrash. Her right foot is so twisted it is almost reversed. Her neck muscles are so constricted she cannot swallow to eat."

Then this startling statement:

Scantlin's doctor, Bradley Scheel, said physicians are not sure why she suddenly began talking but believe critical pathways in the brain may have regenerated.

"It is extremely unusual to see something like this happen," Scheel said.

But the medical experts know regarding Terri.

I don't know whether Terri would ever get better (and since she hasn't had therapy in ten years, I guess the odds are against it). But whether she gets better isn't the question. Terri's is a human being simply because she is human not because a certain part of the brain happens to function. She is a human being even without the part of the brain some in the medical community say contains consciousness.

But then I'm not omniscient, medically or otherwise.