Winner
Diverse in Unity
Wilson was an idiot in that House M.D. episode.
Anyway, my body, my decision, my conscience.
Anyway, my body, my decision, my conscience.
On the morality of refusing to donate organs
- Thread starter Elrohir
- Start date
Winner
Diverse in Unity
With that I agree. I'd allow no exceptions, especially not any based on religious grounds
That's almost how it works in this country.onedreamer
Dragon
With that I agree. I'd allow no exceptions, especially not any based on religious grounds
I am surprised to read this from you two... you know better than to impose your personal opinions on others.
RedRalph
Deity
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2007
- Messages
- 20,708
I don't, frankly, I'm quite authoritarian in general, and on this I wouldn't hesitate to make it obligitory.
I'm quite fine with easy opt-out. Considering that 'easy opt in' and 'easy opt out' differ in donation rates about about 5x as it is.
And for the OP: here's a TED talk about donating bone marrow, another replaceable organ that can really save lives
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/daniel_kraft_invents_a_better_way_to_harvest_bone_marrow.html
I am fine with "opt-out" - the sort of people who refuse to donate on religious grounds will also refuse to accept on religious grounds, so it doesn't make a difference.
Neonanocyborgasm
Deity
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2004
- Messages
- 4,695
This should caution you to take medical advice from a television drama.
There is no moral guidance on living organ donation. Organ transplantation does not guarantee lifesaving for the recipient and is not necessarily absolutely safe for the donor. Nor is there any moral obligation for a stranger. It's up to each person to determine what their obligations are in any given instance. The only moral imperative, as far as I'm concerned, is that the dead should bequeath their organs. They aren't going to be needing them, after all, and they should go to those for whom they are more useful.
onedreamer
Dragon
I don't think you can REFUSE to donate an organ. Donating is a volounteer action, so you can't refuse it. Because of this, it is obviously WRONG to force people to "donate" organs. In that case, it wouldn't be a donation anymore.
Personally, no. You can't be morally obligated to risk your own health for others.
A few questions:
How long does it take for a liver to regenerate?
Say, if you gave part to a random person, there is always the possibility that in the future a family member or close friend will need it, can you give again?
Does this have any adverse effects on the person while it regenerates?
I would support a active opt-out system (no way in hell system without a simple opt-out would ever be passed here), for donations upon death, though.
So, out of 500, you have 1 dead and 49-124 suffering complications. How many of those are serious?
A few questions:
How long does it take for a liver to regenerate?
Say, if you gave part to a random person, there is always the possibility that in the future a family member or close friend will need it, can you give again?
Does this have any adverse effects on the person while it regenerates?
I would support a active opt-out system (no way in hell system without a simple opt-out would ever be passed here), for donations upon death, though.
people who don't have a donor card shouldn't be allowed to receive donations themselves. thats my take on donations in general. also, an opt-out system would make far more sense and cause thousands more lives to be saved.
while you are still alive though, i would say that it is really your prerogative and nobody else's. i personally would not actually be against donating one of my kidneys to a total stranger, if they were young and otherwise healthy, and i could get a chance to talk to them first, see if they are worth saving. people who donate organs, i have immense respect for them.
addressing the question, i do not believe in the morality of anything. in fact, morality and ethics are just a set of codes set out to us by evolution to further our genes. this is why we have no problem giving a kidney to a family member, but far more trouble giving one to a close friend.
while you are still alive though, i would say that it is really your prerogative and nobody else's. i personally would not actually be against donating one of my kidneys to a total stranger, if they were young and otherwise healthy, and i could get a chance to talk to them first, see if they are worth saving. people who donate organs, i have immense respect for them.
addressing the question, i do not believe in the morality of anything. in fact, morality and ethics are just a set of codes set out to us by evolution to further our genes. this is why we have no problem giving a kidney to a family member, but far more trouble giving one to a close friend.
Ayatollah So
the spoof'll set you free
Well, definitely under the circumstances of someone like Dr. Wilson, who has an alternative that has a better rational expection in number of lives saved. In Wilson's case, that's just staying healthy and being the good doctor that he is. In the case of pretty much everyone reading this post, the superior alternative is staying healthy and donating money to victims of natural disasters, or to wiping out malaria, or any number of other high-payoff options.
LucyDuke
staring at the clock
If Tucker hadn't known about the risks of doubling the chemo, then maybe Wilson would've had a moral obligation to pay off what he gambled. I'm in the "that was a dumb move" camp. Tucker's a cancer patient. What happens next time it springs up?
No, there is no moral obligation to give up any of your organs while you're alive. If you ruined somebody else's organ without their okay, then yeah sure make an argument that you should right what you've wronged. Aside from that, no.
Yes, there is a moral obligation to give up your organs when you die. Religious beliefs against organ donation are wrong. At worst, organ donation should be opt-out. Nobody should die because you prefer to have your heart rot in a box when you can't use it.
No, there is no moral obligation to give up any of your organs while you're alive. If you ruined somebody else's organ without their okay, then yeah sure make an argument that you should right what you've wronged. Aside from that, no.
Yes, there is a moral obligation to give up your organs when you die. Religious beliefs against organ donation are wrong. At worst, organ donation should be opt-out. Nobody should die because you prefer to have your heart rot in a box when you can't use it.
Shadylookin
master debater
It would go to your estate then get divided up however you willed it.
I can't wait until the day when my liver is part of a futures contract
