Organ Transplantation Organ transplantation in Judaism is a topic that is difficult due to the complex and fast advancing technology. The process of transplanting human organs into the dying is considered to be a procedure to save lives, and while Jewish tradition considers saving human life to be among the highest ethical obligations as well as a religious duty for a Jewish person to do, it does bring up many questions and ethical issues to be considered. Rabbi Waldenburg was interviewed with the understanding that he did not agree with the process of organ transplantation. Rabbi Waldenburg holds the belief that, “…the main problem is not the determination of the moment of death, then it makes no difference whether the donor is alive or dead; it is the transplant itself that is prohibited” (Brand p.506) This is the consensus in Judaism …show more content…
In texts such as Deuteronomy it is told that a person is obligated to avoid dangerous situations. Which leaves the question for live organ transplantation, is one endangering themselves? and the issue for corpse organ transplantation and the treatment of the dead donor. In Jewish law it prohibits someone from benefiting from a cadaver, mutilating the dead, and delaying the burial but it also tells of the Jewish obligation to save lives. Which makes this a messy argument because on one hand it is something that is considered to be morally right and on the other it is against what the Jews are told about their bodies. To answer this better we look at the halakhic, in this text a person is allowed to endanger themselves if it means they will be able to save the life of another when it comes to live transplantation. The issue with transplantation of a cadaver is that the Torah commands Jews to be buried in one piece, which is why autopsy for the most part is not practiced in Judaism. The Torah’s commandment to be buried whole though does come second to saving life in the Jewish belief, if where the organs are
First of all, we can assess issues concerning the donor. For example, is it ever ethically acceptable to weaken one person’s body to benefit another? It has to be said that the practiced procedures are not conducted in the safest of ways, which can lead to complications for both donors and recipients (Delmonico 1416). There are also questions concerning of informed consent: involved donors are not always properly informed about the procedure and are certainly not always competent to the point of fully grasping the situation (Greenberg 240). Moral dilemmas arise for the organ recipient as well. For instance, how is it morally justifiable to seek and purchase organs in foreign countries? Is it morally acceptable to put oneself in a dangerous situation in order to receive a new organ? Some serious safety issues are neglected in such transactions since the procedures sometimes take place in unregulated clinics (Shimazono 959). There is also the concept of right to health involved in this case (Loriggio). Does someone’s right to health have more value than someone else’s? Does having more money than someone else put your rights above theirs? All of these questions have critical consequences when put into the context of transplant tourism and the foreign organ trade. The answers to these questions are all taken into account when answering if it is morally justifiable to purchase
...or research is beneficial because with the results found, scientists can use them to solve issues that are faced today, or that will be faced in the future. With the approval from the donor, scientific advancements can take place. Human cadavers are specifically used for scientific research, whether they are used as tests in an experiment or to be tested because of a situation. Either way, human cadaver research is a beneficial process as long as the researcher respects the donor on a personal level and there is informed consent from the donor.
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.
Thesis: I will explain the history of organ transplants, starting with ancient ideas before modern science until the 21st century.
God and that God is the only on who has the right to take life. In the
Unanticipated harm should not be brought to donors, patients or anyone else that may be involved in the process of transplants. There should not be any intentional or malicious harm. If a patient has been placed in harm unknowingly or knowingly during transplantation, then this principle has been violated. Childress (2001), states that it is hard to define the nature of harm, for there are several types of harm. For example, if a healthcare provider does a transplant and the pain that is inflicted on that patient in the attempt to prevent death, then that healthcare provider has caused harm to avoid an even greater harm (p.4).
There are two main types of organ donation that help improve the condition of sick people so that they can survive to be with loved ones. The first type of organ donation is living donation. That’s when a living person makes the decision to donate their organ to someone they know or to someone who needs it. The other main type of organ donation is when the dies and has healthy enough organs to donate them to someone else. Heart, lung, Skin and my other body parts are all able to be donate to help save someone’s life. The article “About Living Donation” says “The donor candidate is carefully evaluated by lab tests, a physical examination, and a psychosocial examination to
The act of donation must be made freely and without any coercion and no one is obligated to donate an organ. As Christians, we are strongly in favor of the transplantation and donation of organs because we are able to help others and relieve the sufferings. As stated by Pope John Paul in 2000, he stated that organ donation can be a way of nurturing the culture of life, but he emphasized that that a potential donor needs to be informed about the risks and consequences of a decision to donate an organ. The Catechism tells that it is not acceptable to bring about the death of someone so that there will be organs available for donation, and that vital organs can only be removed after death. There has been a debate on the determination of the death of a person. Organs degenerate very quickly after death, so there is the need to remove them immediately. On the other hand, if vital organs are removed before a person dies, and this contributing to their death, is not acceptable from the position of the Church that defends a person's human dignity and right to
Nadiminti, H. (2005) Organ Transplantation: A dream of the past, a reality of the present, an ethical Challenge for the future. Retrieved February 12, 2014 from http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2005/09/fred1-0509.html
The question arises whether a person’s claim to determine what transpires to their bodies afore and postmortem should be respected. Traditional medical ethics lean toward preserving the rights of the person. This translates into the act of not harvesting organs from the living or deceased unless valid consent has been obtained. The basis of this ethical policy lies in the deontological theories that were established by our philosophical forefathers, such as, John Locke and John Stuart Mill. Refusing to acknowledge the individual rights of a potential donor; the doctor, or medical facility is committing an act of ethical betrayal of the donor, the family, the institution of medicine and the law. Thus, the individual rights of the donor must be upheld to the highest ethical degree.
One of the most important and prevalent issues in healthcare discussed nowadays is the concern of the organ donation shortage. As the topic of organ donation shortages continues to be a growing problem, the government and many hospitals are also increasingly trying to find ways to improve the number of organ donations. In the United States alone, at least 6000 patients die each year while on waiting lists for new organs (Petersen & Lippert-Rasmussen, 2011). Although thousands of transplant candidates die from end-stage diseases of vital organs while waiting for a suitable organ, only a fraction of eligible organ donors actually donate. Hence, the stark discrepancy in transplantable organ supply and demand is one of the reasons that exacerbate this organ donation shortage (Parker, Winslade, & Paine, 2002). In the past, many people sought the supply of transplantable organs from cadaver donors. However, when many ethical issues arose about how to determine whether someone is truly dead by either cardiopulmonary or neurological conditions (Tong, 2007), many healthcare professionals and transplant candidates switched their focus on obtaining transplantable organs from living donors instead. As a result, in 2001, the number of living donors surpassed the number of cadaver donors for the first time (Tong, 2007).
A utilitarian would argue that organ donations save lives because when citizens continue to donate their organs, more lives are spared. Gregory Pence mentioned in his book titled “Classic Works in Medical Ethics” that three thousand Americans lose their lives while waiting for an organ transplant. Nevertheless, if organ donations become prevalent it would save or prolong some of the lives in America (Pense, 2007, 75). For example the risk of a kidney transplant ending in death or disabilities is three to ten thousand and in comparison to liposuction the risks are relatively the same (Pense, 2007, 62). A utilitarian would argue that people would rather help theirselves through liposuction instead of helping others. Other theorists such as Kant fail to realize the experience of donating an organ outweighs the potential harm to the donor (Pense, 2007, 62). Adult organ donations can be taken from people that have been recently deceased. This means that there is no physical harm or risk to the person donating the organ. Nonetheless, doctors using donated organs from the recently deceased to save many lives, would create good consequences for the organ recipient population. The chance of organ donations succeeding is greater than the negative outcome (Pense 2007, p ...
Many people believe that organ donation is a good thing, and it should be practiced for various reasons. One reason may be that through organ donation, many lives can be saved. Sometimes it’s just one organ that fails, and by receiving that organ from a person they can continue to live as they had been before. This may extend their life for many decades. Organ donation can also provide a sense of comfort. The family of the deceased may feel better knowing that even after their loved one is dead, his/her organs are still alive and helping others. It may also make living donors feel better about themselves since they may have given someone a new life with their organ. Organ donation also helps medical students practice medicine and helps them become better doctors. For
What many do not realize is the truth about organ donation. The body of the donor after the surgery is not mangled up and is presentable for the funeral. Organ donation is ethical and should not be looked down upon. Organ donating is there to save lives, not to hurt anyone. Many people think that they should be paid or given something in return for donating their organs, which is... ...
The most common myth of organ donation is that if you have a medical condition, you can’t be a donor. The fact is that no matter who you are, regardless of your age or medical history can sign up to be a donor. Many people also believe that they are too old to be a donor, but the truth is that organ donation is not limited to any age of people. Religious people often believe that their religion doesn’t support organ donation, but most of the major religions (in the U.S.) support it and often think of donation as a final act of love and generosity towards other people. Often people will think that if they are in a hospital or an ambulance, the medical professionals won’t try to save their life. This is the farthest thing from the truth, if you are sick or injured and taken to a hospital, the only priority the medical professionals have is to save your life. Another myth that people often worry about is that if they donate their eyes, organs, and tissues; then their family cannot have an open casket funeral. In the majority of cases however, having an open casket funeral is possible. (Organ Donation