[Anon] [Text]

[crouching_sin]

Here's a question for you all. It's something that I read a while back, and I'm interested in your answers. Anonymous is fine, if you want.

There are five patients in a hospital. All of them are dying due to complications with various organs. All of them will die within the next day or so if they don't get an organ transplant. Magic won't save any of them, incidentally, if you were hoping to use that.

A young backpacker comes into the hospital or a checkup. He has no relatives, and he is in excellent health. As it happens, you, the surgeon on duty, notice that he is a perfect match for all five of the patients.

Assuming the backpacker does not give consent, is it morally permissible to cut him up and transfer the organs to the other patients? These are not organs that the backpacker can live without, so he'll die if you do.

I'm interested to hear what you think.

Comments

[fony]

I know that. Still not okay to make his decison for him.

[crouching_sin]

And that's a fair way to feel about it, certainly.

[fony]

So is there an answer to thd question or are yu just trying to make me feel bad for not tryin gto save more people?

[crouching_sin]

There's very rarely a 'right' answer where morality is concerned. It's important to know what the other argument is, though.

[fony]

Usually the right answer is whatever makes the most people happy.

[crouching_sin]

And wouldn't saving those people make the most people happy? They'd be alive, their families would be happy they're alive, and no one would miss the backpacker.