Organ Lottery Research Paper

Improved Essays
Show More
The Organ Lottery In a world where there are not enough organs for people who need them, there must be a way of deciding who receives one and who doesn’t. I propose that a type of lottery system be used. Everyone will receive at least 1 entry in the lottery that cannot be taken away. Entries will then be added or taken away based on certain criteria. These criteria include organ utility (maximizing happiness per organ), dependability (if the person has a family who is depending on him/her), criminal history, and medical history (not taking care of yourself or multiple failed transplants). There will be a committee composed of a random sample of the college educated United States population that will decide on how much a person fulfills the …show more content…
For example, they might decide someone gets 4 additional entries for organ utility, 2 more for dependability, and 3 taken away for a bad medical history. In the first part of my essay, I will explain why I chose these criteria and argue against other methods of distributing organs. Each of the criteria used to increase/decrease a person’s chances of receiving a transplant are important. Before I explain why I used each factor, keep in mind that I am assuming the information that I use is the only thing we know about the patients. I used organ utility because I feel that someone who can possibly live the longest should get the transplant. For example, if you have 1 kidney and 2 people who need it, wouldn’t you give it to the person who can live longer with it? It makes the most sense because you get more life (utility) out of the organ. According to Mill, this action would be ethical because you get more pleasure out of it. I used dependability because it would make the most sense to give the organ to someone who is supporting their family rather than someone who doesn’t have anyone to support. This is because if we gave the organ to …show more content…
This gives my method some ethical ground because everyone does have a chance of receiving the organ. The criteria used in determining how many entries a person receives would increase the chances a “better” person would get the organ, but it doesn’t ensure it. This method is kind of a best of both worlds deal. You are still being at least a little ethical and still sensible. In addition, you are more likely to “get more for your organ” this way. What I mean is that people will have a higher chance of receiving an organ if they will live longer and increase the pleasure of the people around

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Prison Organ Donors Essay
    • 1616 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Prison Organ Donors Essay

    Prisoners as Organ Donors Each day, in the United States, 123,956 people are waiting for an organ donor. According to Becoming a Donor, 18 of those people die each day waiting for an organ donor that is not found in time. 1 donor can save 8 lives and change many more (organdonor.gov). There is great controversy on whether or not inmates should be allowed to be organ donors. My goal with this essay is to make everyone aware of the number of people who await an organ transplant and how allowing inmates to donate could relieve some of this burden.…

    • 1616 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Thomas Simmons Case
    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Thomas Simmons Case

    By the time that choice is taken into action the person is usually not in a state where they can dictate exactly who it should go to, and even if they could decide, what makes a person a determining factor of someone else’s life? Even with organ donating being a gift I don’t think stipulations on who receives organs should be a factor at…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Should Liver Allocation System Be Maximally Fair
    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Should Liver Allocation System Be Maximally Fair

    For my individual research assignment, the question I must answer is “should the liver allocation system be maximally fair or maximally efficient at producing added years of life from organ transplant?”. The main dilemma is should we give a liver which is a rare and valuable resource to someone far away but won’t survive without it. Or, is it more ethical to give it to someone who is closer but is not in as critical condition. At first glance, I tend to think that everyone should have a fair chance of receiving a liver, and when after reading the prompt for the first time, I tend to think that the liver allocation system should be maximally fair. But, after thinking about it for a while, I find myself leaning more towards maximally efficient.…

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Opt-Out Organ Donation Policy Analysis
    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Opt-Out Organ Donation Policy Analysis

    Countries that currently have an opt-out organ donation policy, have been successful in increasing the number of available organs for transplanting. One reason that the opt-out organ donation policy works is based on the views of the people. For instance, in countries that have on opt-out system it is extraordinary to not donate one’s organs. Where on the other hand, in an opt-in system is is believed to be out of place to donate one’s organs (Rippon 350). This is because people look at what the majority is doing.…

    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    God Squad Case Study
    • 1817 Words
    • 8 Pages

    God Squad Case Study

    Initially, this sounds like a simple task, however, the God Squad must determine how to distribute scarce resources with minimal knowledge of the patient’s individual case. Most likely members have little to no knowledge of the actual intensity of the surgery or the medical repercussions of the procedure. Additionally, the God Squad has no universally set criteria to determine which factors to consider when evaluating a patient’s case. As a result, the God squad constructs their own criteria based solely on psychosocial factors. Permitting the God Squad to have control of the transplant list sounds potentially problematic, however, the utilitarian approach claims that the members of a God Squad are the most qualified to make such decisions.…

    • 1817 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Healthcare Rationing
    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Pros And Cons Of Healthcare Rationing

    This is the model that is most often taken into consideration when deciding which patient will receive an organ transplant. A team will decide which patient(s) are closest to death and who will potentially have the best clinical outcome. Clinical outcome may be measured in who will have the better quality of life and how many years the said organ will likely prolong the life of the patient. In less critical aspects of healthcare, the idea is to provide the treatment that will have the greatest treatment to the greatest number of people, or what will ultimately benefit the group as a whole (Doyle,…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Opt-Out Policy
    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Opt-Out Policy

    Like many of the European nations, America has a large population that is socially and technologically advanced. Unlike these nations however, Americans have an opt-in policy. The statistics regarding the differences between organ donation rates are staggering. “A 2012 study found that organ donation rates are ‘typically exceeding 90 percent in opt-out countries and failing to reach even 15 percent in opt-in countries’” (Samuel).…

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Feinberg The Mistreatment Of Dead Bodies Analysis
    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Feinberg The Mistreatment Of Dead Bodies Analysis

    According to a survey conducted by the Ecology Global Network, in the article “Birth and Death Rates,” it sates on average, 151,600 people die each day. In addition, an article by The American Transplant Foundation, titled “Facts and Myths,” states that at minimum, 21 people out of 123,000 men, women and children on the organ transplant list join the death rate every day. Incidentally, a single person can donate their body and save up to 8 lives. Thus if 20,000 of the 151,600 deceased donated their body, less people in need of a transplant would die. Instead, out of 151,600 deaths only a little over 8,500 deceased were donated.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    John Harris The Lottery Analysis
    • 1048 Words
    • 4 Pages

    John Harris The Lottery Analysis

    John Harris proposes a system to counteract the rising rates of individuals dying because they were unable to receive an organ transplant. In order to maximize human life in the most just way possible, Harris proposes that everyone should be entered into a survival lottery. Within the lottery if you need an organ transplant for medical reasons you can receive one however there is a risk that you could be drawn in which you would serve as the donor for others. Everyone is entered thus causing an equal chance of getting drawn as your friends or strangers would have. Harris argues this system would be the best because it would lower the chances of death for the entire population (Harris, 83).…

    • 1048 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Legalizing Organ Sales
    • 1665 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of Legalizing Organ Sales

    In the United States, there has been an increase in the number of organ transplants needed over the years, even though there are not enough donated organs to fill that need. This issue has sparked many ideas in the creation of a remedy to the current organ donation shortage. One of the proposed solutions would be to legalize the sale of human organs, which has many issues woven within it. Through history of organ donations, many people have been saved.…

    • 1665 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Activity 4.3.1 Who Should Receive The Organ?
    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Activity 4.3.1 Who Should Receive The Organ?

    The final decision as to who receives an organ involves adherence to multiple policies. The National Organ Transplant Act • Outlaws the sale of human organs. • Specifies that the OPTN establish medical criteria for organ allocation including compatibility of the donor and the recipient and medical urgency (medical urgency only considered for heart,…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Opt Out System In Organ Donation Essay
    • 1539 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Opt Out System In Organ Donation Essay

    Choose the Opt. Out System in Organ Donation Being able to provide enough organs to fill the need of those that are in final stages of organ failure. There are people dying every day because they are not receiving the organs they desperately need to survive. Many possible donors are overlooked because families and friends have not discussed whether to donate organs or not. At first glance everyone gets caught up in whether it is ethical to provide financial gain to people who are living donors or not.…

    • 1539 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Positive Effects Of Organ Donation
    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Positive Effects Of Organ Donation

    A loved one 's heart no longer pumps blood and his brain no longer functions, yet he still lies on a frigid bed seemingly lost in the sea of hospital covers. An apathetic machine pumps blood for him, impersonating the warmth of life. Even though he looks alive, the patient is pronounced brain dead, a commonly devastating tragedy for families across the country. However, positive effects can come from this terrible disaster. A brain dead individual can donate his organs to save the life of another.…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Organ Donation Persuasive Essay
    • 1123 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Organ Donation Persuasive Essay

    Statistics claim, “Every ten minutes another name is added onto the national organ transplant waiting list” (donatelife.net). In today’s society there is an issue that is often forgotten, and that is organ donation. Many people don’t often think about this problem due to the fact of many distractions such as current events, politics, personal matters, and many more. Although there are many reasons as to why this topic isn’t brought up often, doesn’t mean it should be brushed off the shoulder and set aside. Patients have to face life or death situations due to the lack of organ donations, and there are so many resolutions that can be made towards this issue.…

    • 1123 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Argical Analysis Of John Harris's 'The Survival Lottery'
    • 1802 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Argical Analysis Of John Harris's 'The Survival Lottery'

    In this paper, I will analyze John Harris’ argument structure in his 1975 article “The Survival Lottery,” then raise an objection to one of his arguments, then I will state what I believe Harris’ response to my arguments would be. After an analysis of Harris’ arguments, I disagree with Harris’ assertion that all lives are equal based on arguments involving society, virtue, and social effect. I believe that Harris would counter with arguments of utilitarianism, legality, and application of the veil of ignorance. Harris concludes through his arguments, a lottery to select those that would be killed for the purpose of organ harvest is not just morally permissible, it is a moral obligation.…

    • 1802 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings