Ethical Question on giving up someones lives for others

[JD27076]

This is the question.

Answer GOOD or BAD

Five people have just been rushed into a hospital in critical condition, each requiring an organ to survive. There is not enough time to request organs from outside the hospital, but there is a healthy person in the hospital’s waiting room. If the surgeon takes this person’s organs, he will die, but the five in critical care will survive. Taking the healthy person’s organs is [____].

Can you explain your answer as well?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Bad.

Taking the man’s organs, regardless of the potential good outcome, is murder. Therefore, regardless of any potential good, the act would be evil.

This is the same as “Kill a kid to spare the race from destruction.” Regardless of the numbers, to kill an innocent is invariably evil.

 

[JD27076]

What if the man gives them freely?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

What if the man gives them freely?

Then, not only would the doctors be murdering him, he would be committing suicide. Twice the sin. A man’s life is not is to give. Granted, this would appear similar to sacrificing you life to save a love one, say, from a bullet or something, but the circumstances are very different, so you cannot apply the same logic.

 

[Neildown]

 

[quiet52]

The end does not justify the means.

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c1a4.htm (see sections 1753-1761)