Ethical Dilemma: Organ Harvesting Organ harvesting or the methods of rather, have long been the source of major ethical and moral debate. In this paper, I will seek to describe, and discuss the ethical arguments on either side of continued narrative. Additionally, I will discuss my perceived validity of both cases presented. People in support of organ transplantation argue the cost/benefit ration and have determined their arguing points to be these: Social Responsibility, Improves the Quality of Life, alleviation of familial grief, encourages hope to live, lessens the cost of patient care, improves research and research methods. The opposing side offers an alternative view, offering these augment points: Risk of complication during and after surgery, degradation of health in the long run, adverse physiological effect on donor’s family, financial burden, objections based on religious belief, unethical trade and harvesting of human organs, and finally, the donor has no rights to choose the recipient. My own personal convictions lead me to side with pro-donation people. I deeply believe that commercialization of organ harvesting will put an end to black market trading, and many other unethical practices. Many believe that human beings are innately driven with the sense that one has a social responsibility to act in ways that yield improvement to society as a whole. Donating organs to the patients in dire need and enabling them to survive is a viewed as an act rated in the upper echelons of the selfless act hierarchy. This way, one also helps humanity to a great extent. Moreover, donating organs also ensures that a part of the donor, and therefore their emotional legacy, lives on. Transplanting healthy organs from the body of one... ... middle of paper ... ... facilities. The medical scientists perform experiments on these donated organs, tissues, and bodies, in order to find cures and treatments for various complex medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, etc. The newly found treatments further aid the medical practitioners in saving human lives (Dhillon, 2013). The pros of organ donation are numerous, and primarily support the continuation of life. Patients, who without the receipt of donated organ tissue would undoubtedly die, stand to gain the most benefit-- longevity of life. A major argument of organ donation supporters is this: circumstantially, the death of a single human being with viable organs can extricate several people from certain death. Depending on organ conditions at death, and the proximity of the deceased to a major medical transplantation unit, many organs could be harvested from the same body.
In his article “Opt-out organ donation without presumptions”, Ben Saunders is writing to defend an opt-out organ donation system in which cadaveric organs can be used except in the case that the deceased person has registered an objection and has opted-out of organ donation. Saunders provides many arguments to defend his stance and to support his conclusion. This paper will discuss the premises and elements of Saunders’ argument and how these premises support his conclusion. Furthermore, this paper will discuss the effectiveness of Saunders’ argument, including its strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, it will discuss how someone with an opposing view might respond to his article,
Joanna MacKay says in her essay, Organ Sales Will Save Lives, that “Lives should not be wasted; they should be saved.” Many people probably never think about donating organs, other than filling out the paper work for their drivers’ license. A reasonable amount of people check ‘yes’ to donate what’s left of their bodies so others may benefit from it or even be able to save a life. On the other hand, what about selling an organ instead of donating one? In MacKay’s essay, she goes more in depth about selling organs. Honestly, I did not really have an opinion on organ sales, I just knew little about it. Nonetheless, after I studied her essay, I feel like I absolutely agreed with her. She argues that the sale of human organs should be authorized. Some crucial features in an argument consist of a clear and arguable position, necessary background information, and convincing evidence.
When viewing organ donation from a moral standpoint we come across many different views depending on the ethical theory. The controversy lies between what is the underlying value and what act is right or wrong. Deciding what is best for both parties and acting out of virtue and not selfishness is another debatable belief. Viewing Kant and Utilitarianism theories we can determine what they would have thought on organ donation. Although it seems judicious, there are professionals who seek the attention to be famous and the first to accomplish something. Although we are responsible for ourselves and our children, the motives of a professional can seem genuine when we are in desperate times which in fact are the opposite. When faced with a decision about our or our children’s life and well being we may be a little naïve. The decisions the patients who were essentially guinea pigs for the first transplants and organ donation saw no other options since they were dying anyways. Although these doctors saw this as an opportunity to be the first one to do this and be famous they also helped further our medical technology. The debate is if they did it with all good ethical reasoning. Of course they had to do it on someone and preying upon the sick and dying was their only choice. Therefore we are responsible for our own health but when it is compromised the decisions we make can also be compromised.
6. Rothman, D. 1996. "Bodily Integrity and the Socially Disadvantaged: The traffic in Organs for Transplantation." In Organ and Tissue Donation; Ethical, legal, and policy issues. Speilman, B. (ed.).
Organ donation is the process of surgical removing an organ or tissue from the organ owner and placing it into the recipient. The donation is usually made when the donor has no use for their belongings (after death) so they give the recipient the necessary organ/tissue that has failed or has been damaged by injury or disease. I agree with the idea of organ donations, the reason I support organ donations is because I believe that it can cause reduction on people dying and increasing the number of saving lives. Patients on the path of death from organ failure often live longer after receiving a transplant (Dubois,19). I am all for organ donations because in my opinion it’s a genuine act of love. It is a
In the schoolyard, a match of tug of war has ensued. Each side’s participants have desperately clenched onto the rope, gained as much footing as possible, and every muscle in their bodies are clenched. When one seems to gain ground, the other begins to pull back even harder striving to prove they are the strongest. In life many situations can be found back in the roots of that schoolyard, one side grimacing at the other because they are not apart of what they call acceptable. In the world of organ transplants and donations, the same tug of war match is underway. Both sides are pulling with all of their might. The thoughts of since the organ did not originate in the body of the recipient it does not belong there, that religious views conflict with whether to give or not, and that there is great success and appreciation of those who have received an organ transplant from a viable donor seems to strengthen the grip on their belief. Each
Removing an organ from a healthy human-being, to be placed in another person, seems to violate this basic value. However, maximizing benefits while minimizing potential harms seems to be the logical course to take when concerning human life. Taking an organ from a seemingly normal person, upon their consent, to be given to an individual in need of a vital organ, to save their life, is a modern, medical miracle. Organ donors are able to live ordinary lives, proceeding their operation, while lucky patients receive the treatment they need to survive. These amazing, life-changing transplants are often neglected because public concern does not focus on organ donation issues. Within the United States, many people are not registered as organ donors, or even know that there is a major shortage of these essential organs. The United States need to take an initiative that will allow for an idealistic, organ donation
In this paper I will be using the normative theory of utilitarianism as the best defensible approach to increase organ donations. Utilitarianism is a theory that seeks to increase the greatest good for the greatest amount of people (Pense2007, 61). The utilitarian theory is the best approach because it maximizes adult organ donations (which are the greater good) so that the number of lives saved would increase along with the quality of life, and also saves money and time.
Throughout the world, organ donations and transplants have been known to become an important and beneficial asset to the enhancement of technology in the medical field but it has also proven to be a disaster (Organ). Organ donation is a process that surgically removes an organ or a tissue from one person and transplants it into another, who is capable of receiving and utilizing the organ. Currently hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are in need of organs at this very moment and the number continues to grow everyday, while the number of donors seems to stay the same. Without a doubt, this is a problem that has to be addressed in order to save the lives of people globally. Many people believe the solution
Keatings and Smith (2010) state that “the supply of donor organs has not kept pace with the growing need” which presents a real problem. Donor organs represent lives; lack of donor organs represents possible deaths. Wilkinson and Savulescu (2012) acknowledge that methods of increasing the number of solid organs for transplantation “conflict with ethical norms governing transplantation to varying degrees” but make the point that “the cost of preserving those norms will be the death or ongoing morbidity of many individuals.” These authors use statistics to support their claim, citing, firstly, that in the last 50 years, solid organ transplantation has extended and improved the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of patients with organ failure [however] there are more than 100,000 patients on the waiting list for a deceased US: In 2007, 18 patients per day died on waiting lists for transplants. In the UK, 450 patients per year die because of a lack of available organs.
middle of paper ... ... en through the example of Nickolas Green, when you donate organs you not only save one life, but often numerous. Your body has so many vital organs and tissues that can be donated and given to many different people. For many of these people, what you donate to them, can be a matter of life or death.
Organ Transplants Organ transplants were possibly one of the greatest things to happen to science. So many people have had their lives saved because of receiving an organ donated by a family member or a stranger. The history of organ transplants goes way back. And though there are cons along with the pros, in the end organ transplants are all worth it. The idea of organ transplants has been around for centuries, tracing back to myths by ancient Greeks and other early civilizations, but people were unable to perform any surgeries for many years because they did not have the right technology and science to keep someone alive with a transplant.
Selling organs will saves lives in many different ways also. People are dying because they are illegally selling their organs in the black market or even selling there organs in insane prices to other people. As in Germany, it will coast around $3500 to donate a liver. But in other i...
This critical situation is considerable necessary in need to be address to make a difference in people lives around the world. A breakthrough the source of demand is greatly needed to guarantee individuals to save the lives or progress in receiving the benefits of the transplant (Hyde, Wihardjo, & White, 2012). Awareness is a must, it engages people about organ donation and addresses their concerns. The fact of the matter are organs are useless once we passed away, to make an enormous impact on others around us we have to take that step and become organ donors we have nothing to lose but to gain a person life. Therefore, it is necessary to look beyond all myths that is implemented in today’s society, organ donation is very much imperative in today’s community not just know but as well as in the