RAPID RESPONSES
Logic-chopping
Jamie Whyte’s view that you shouldn’t make yourself worth more dead than alive [Donating organs could prove a costly decision, yesterday] is wise, but I disagree it applies in the case of organ donation by default. Irrespective of arguments that the resulting increase in organ supply would make the value of your organs significantly less, it doesn’t account for who you are valuable to. Yes the family and friends of those your organs could save may feel you are worth more dead than alive but they do not have power in this situation, and the doctor’s cost/benefit calculation will be very different. Would the psychological benefit of helping another doctor save someone outweigh the psychological cost of actively murdering a patient in his or her immediate care? I would be very surprised that in these circumstances you would be worth more to the doctor dead than alive.
Joseph Kent