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Four Components of Personhood:
neocortical function
self-consciousness
relational ability
happiness
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What does neocortical function control?
Thinking
Decisions
Self-awareness
Relationships
Time perception
Emotion
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How can we reject higher brain death in PVS?
PVS patients have potential for neocortical function
Once had neocortical function
Human form
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3 components of Utilitarianism
1) maximum good for highest number of people
2) Consequences alone matter
3) Each person is equal
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How would utilitarian favor organ sales?
In favor:
1) serious shortage of organs (only 8,000; 107,000 people died in 2010); many would saved
2) Undercut black market
3) Give money to poor
4) Both donor and recipient benefit
5) Current model leads to judging moral worth of recipients
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Utilitarian against organ sales?
Against:
1) Poor are exploited for organs; advantage for rich
2) Coerces donor to take risks
3) Flood market with possibly unhealthy organs
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Three tenets of Kant philosophy?
Kantian:
1) act itself matters more than consequences (morally irrelevant)
- 2) People to follow certain rules, or maxims.
- This is known as the Categorical imperative
3) Morality does not rest on results, but rather on sense of duty
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Kant favor organ sales?
For:
- Maxim: never violate personal autonomy
- Categorical imperative: person can choose to use organs in dire financial circumstances
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Kant against organ sales?
Against:
1) The act makes people means for others’ survival
2) Assigns value to people; violates dignity and duty to one’s body
3) does not treat people equally
- 4) act violates the driving force behind moralityà sake of duty,
- deontological (may appears so, but it
- does not stem from duty)
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Discuss metaphysical, moral, and medical components of Callahan's view on euthanasia
- Metaphysical
- “External world is distinct from the self and has its own
- causal dynamism”
- -we can forestall death, but it is inevitable
- Moral
- -Active cuts off possibility for life while passive does not
- -human agency vs. action of external nature
- -life was being sustained by artificial means, disease took over
- Medical
- -Active goes against doctor’s obligations to welfare of patient
- -Passive allows physicians to do what’s best for patient
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How can you believe we should still tell family about removing life support?
1) Metaphysical: stroke caused death and was inevitable
2) Moral: life sustained artificiallyàphysicians not morally culpable, but still should be fully honest about course of treatment
3) Medical: physicians believed her welfare was best kept by removing support. Continuing support would only cause more harm
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