Good news for Utilitarians everywhere

[soresuress]

Calling all utilitarians

Comments

[greatgoatman]

Honestly, I'm not sure it is. Why take the organs of a bum and not a well-to-do businessman, if they're both medically in the same position? Let's assume both have the same injuries and chance of survival, both have no family, both have no friends. Will the state support harvesting from both of them? If not, then I can't support this. A government should protect its citizens equally, and give them all as much opportunity for gaining happiness as it can. Bums have just as much right to happiness as anyone else. I'm fully in support of making one sacrifice to save several people, but I can't support bias in choosing who is sacrificed.

[losifer]

I agree with you, though from a societal perspective I could understand the argument that anyone who is maintaining a job and paying taxes, etc. is contributing to the good of the community, whereas the bum is not but is rather an expenditure of resources.

I don't really agree with this, but I could see the argument.

Equal Opportunity Organ Harvesting

[soresuress]

No, there is not discrimination. I simply used the rehashed example from the good old PHL classes. The statement in class was simply that if a doctor used someone's organs to save a bunch of other people there is not liability for murder, or any other criminal liability.

I personally think the argument is stronger for harvesting from unproductive members of society, but in the chance that the businessman is in the hospital and right there...how convenient...