PHI 1370 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Cerebral Palsy, Robert Latimer, James Rachels
6 Jun 2018
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1
1) What is tasplat touis, ad what are the most serious ethical issues surrounding this
activity?
The term organ donor is used to describe someone who is officially willing to donate an organ. In
other words, someone who has his or her organ donation card and not someone who has actually
donated an organ. The shortage of organ donors and long wait times has resulted in a black market
causing many Canadians to travel to other countries for transplants – this is called tasplat
touis. Transplant tourism involves a number of important ethical issues. One of the main issues is
that the health ae oditios fo doos ae ofte e poo ad those eeiig the ogas ae at
risk for disease and illness. As well, is it fair for those who seek transplant tourism to receive free
medical care on their return, when they skipped the line and instead obtained their organs illegally?
2) Describe four serious myths about organ donation that are rather widely accepted, and explain
in each case what the facts are
There are many myths about organ donation, and a great deal of misinformation, which may
discourage some people from becoming organ donors. The first myth is that doctors will not try to
save the life of their patient if they know that they are an organ donor. However, in reality the
medical staff trying to save lives are different from the team that perform transplants therefore it is
very unlikely that this myth is true. The second myth is that a person has the possibility of recovering
from brain death. But in reality a patient can recover from a coma, but not from brain death. A Comas
is a state of deep unconsciousness that lasts for a prolonged or indefinite period, caused especially by
severe injury or illness while brain death is irreversible brain damage causing the end of independent
respiration, regarded as indicative of death. Comas and brain death are not the same. The third myth
is that elderly people cannot donate organs and tissues. In reality, people of all ages may be organ
and tissue donors. The physical condition of the organ is what is most important, not the age of the
donor. Finally, the last myth is that the family of the person donating the organs will be charged for
the medical procedures. In reality donation costs are not covered by the donor's family or estate so
they do not have to worry about this when agreeing to donate their organs.
3) Choose eithe the sste efeed to as pesued oset fo deteiig ho hua
organs may be procured for the purpose of transplants, or the system referred to as
Puish/Read, ad the explain it clearly, and discuss whether it would be morally
acceptable to implement it.
The punish/reward system is a system for determining how organs may be procured for the purpose
of transplants. It is based on the idea that organ donors should be given priority as organ recipients
and that non-organ donors should go to the bottom of the waiting lists for organs. As well, that non-
organ donors should not be eligible for organ transplants. This system would not be morally
acceptable implement because there are several objections to it that would severely impact the
health care system. Firstly, it would be hard to implement this system because people would join
after they found out they needed a transplant just so that they could be on top of the list. As well, the
health care system should not be in the business of punishing and rewarding patients because its
main goal is to help society. Finally, the health care system could not allow people to die if it had the
eas to sae the eause it ould go agaist the sste’s oe alue to help sae idiiduals i
order to maintain their health.
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2
4) One type of objection against the proposal to legalize the buying and selling of human organs
for the purpose of transplants is that this would have bad or harmful consequences. How
serious, in your view, is this type of objection?
I do’t eliee that this objection is quite serious. Some would object by saying that only poor people
would sell their organs and be exploited. However, I do not think this would be totally true. This is
more of a rationalization of an instinctive opposition to buying and selling organs than a true concern
for exploitation. If people are able to sell their labour cheaply why is that not considered exploitation?
By refusing to allow poor people sell their organs infringes on their rights to do as they please with
their own property which is their body. As well, another objection would be that there would be an
increased risk of danger for people being killed for their organs. In reality there is no basis for thinking
that the sale of organs would lead to the death of people for their organs. By allowing people to sell
their organs it would greatly increase the supply which would reduce the price and would be more
likely to reduce the danger of people being killed for their organs. Another argument would be that
the sale of organs would discourage donations. In reality if the motivation for people donating their
organs decreases it would still increase the number of organs available for transplant which is much
more important. Finally, the last objection is that the sale of organs would undermines the respect for
the human body and human dignity. I believe that this objection is too vague and not supported by
enough evidence to be true.
5) It is sometimes claimed that buying and selling human organs is just inherently or intrinsically
wrong, even if it did increase the number of organs available for transplants, and so should not
be permitted. Do you agree or disagree with this view? Support your answer as best you can by
argument. Note that, i aseig this uestio, ou do’t eessail hae to disuss Mak
Nelso’s aguets i Readig 24. You a just gie ou o easos fo or against.)
I disagree, I think that the selling of human organs can be beneficial or inherently/intrinsically good if
it is done in a proper way. Selling organs that belong to you is okay because they are yours, if they
ee’t ours you would not be able to sell them. As well if human organs had dignity (slavery), the
easoig to ot use the ould’t ok eause digit is iopatile ith oeship, ad so this
would preclude donating organs as well. Removing or transferring an orga does’t eed to e
painful for the person who is selling it. There would be laws in place to protect those whom are
selling an organ to make sure of their wellbeing. I also disagree because there is no institution that
would be weakened by the sale of organs. Selling an organ can be beneficial to a family member and
would not hurt anyone. As well, the desire for an organ transplant is not bad and even if it was this
would again preclude donating organs. The sale of human organs benefits society because it allows
more organs to be accessible to those who need them and for people the get a financial gain from
selling them.
6) Do you agree with the decision of the Canadian Parliament to legalize physician-assisted
suicide? Defend your view as best you can by argument.
Physician, or medically, assisted suicide is when a physician intentionally helps their patient to
commit suicide. If the patient is consciously consenting to physician assisted suicide, then I believe
there is no harm. However, it might hurt those aoud patiet ut i the ed it’s the patiet’s od
and they should have the right to do whatever they want with it. If physician assisted suicide ee’t
legal I would think that people who were in pain would just find another way to end their lives which
has the risk of to cause even greater hard if someone they love finds them. In my opinion physician
assisted suicide should only be an option if the patient has a terminal illness or are going to die in the
near future. A terminal illness greatly reduces the quality of life, so why would a patient want to
struggle through that when they could pass away happy and full of the good memories and not have
to be in pain and suffer for months before death. As well the family of the patient is suffering as they
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Document Summary
The term organ donor is used to describe someone who is officially willing to donate an organ. In other words, someone who has his or her organ donation card and not someone who has actually donated an organ. The shortage of organ donors and long wait times has resulted in a black market causing many canadians to travel to other countries for transplants this is called (cid:862)t(cid:396)a(cid:374)spla(cid:374)t tou(cid:396)is(cid:373)(cid:863). Transplant tourism involves a number of important ethical issues. One of the main issues is that the health (cid:272)a(cid:396)e (cid:272)o(cid:374)ditio(cid:374)s fo(cid:396) (cid:862)do(cid:374)o(cid:396)s(cid:863) a(cid:396)e ofte(cid:374) (cid:448)e(cid:396)(cid:455) poo(cid:396) a(cid:374)d those (cid:396)e(cid:272)ei(cid:448)i(cid:374)g the o(cid:396)ga(cid:374)s a(cid:396)e at risk for disease and illness. There are many myths about organ donation, and a great deal of misinformation, which may discourage some people from becoming organ donors. The first myth is that doctors will not try to save the life of their patient if they know that they are an organ donor.
