PHIL 2390H Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Lung Cancer, Thesis Statement, Triage
26 Jun 2018
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How do we allocate scarce resources?
Rationing
- The practice, forced by a scarcity of resources of withholding potentially beneficial
medical treatment from individuals or groups according to specific criteria.
oSoft rationing: implicit criteria (something there that’s being used, hasn’t
necessarily been debated- Trent health services)
oHard rationing: explicit criteria established through public debate (ER triage)
Commodification vs exploitation
- What is commodification? Attaching a value to something.
- What is exploitation? Use it for our own ends, take advantage in some way.
- Example of commodification without exploitation?
- Example of exploitation without commodification? Have a friend that will do anything
for you, you are taking advantage of them.
- Fundamental question: when we commodify the human body do we necessarily exploit
people?
Organ Transplants
- There are at least 4 approaches to rationing scarce resources like organs
1. The selection committee process
2. The lottery approach
3. The customary approach
4. The market approach
The selection committee process
- Challenges- early did not have explicit criteria with which to make their decisions
- Either:
oSome patterns of decisions will arise in which case we can use that as a standard,
reducing the need for such a committee
oNo pattern arises and the decisions will appear and the decision will appear
arbitrary and unacceptable.
The lottery Approach
- Ultimate equalizer
- Some are concerned that in achieving equality that no consideration is given to what
one might consider morally relevant differences between candidates’
- First come first serve approach is not as unbiased as it might appear (you may get your
name on the list faster if you live in an urban setting as opposed to a rural area)
The customary Approach
- This depends on the culture
- This customary approach is essentially a list of criteria which make the choice for us, but
it is precisely these criteria which need to be evaluated.
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Document Summary
Use it for our own ends, take advantage in some way. Have a friend that will do anything for you, you are taking advantage of them. There are at least 4 approaches to rationing scarce resources like organs: the selection committee process, the lottery approach, the customary approach, the market approach. Challenges- early did not have explicit criteria with which to make their decisions. Some are concerned that in achieving equality that no consideration is given to what one might consider morally relevant differences between candidates". First come first serve approach is not as unbiased as it might appear (you may get your name on the list faster if you live in an urban setting as opposed to a rural area) This customary approach is essentially a list of criteria which make the choice for us, but it is precisely these criteria which need to be evaluated.
