Let's Discuss... Ethics of Organ Harvesting

As of 2020 in England, everyone over the age of 18 is considered for organ donation unless they opt out.

To be considered as a donor, you must be in reasonable health and legally brain dead or have suffered circulatory death, and the chances of success increase if the death is controlled by doctors. This creates a paradoxical and ethically challenging situation. For organ donation to have the highest chance of success, the organs must remain alive and functional at the time of harvesting. Some critics argue that this time pressure may, in certain cases, lead to patients being declared dead sooner than they should be, raising profound questions about medical ethics, patient rights, and the definition of death itself.

This lecture forms part of the discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Choa64znIeE

How do we definitively determine when someone is truly dead, especially when their organs are still functioning?

How do we balance the needs of one dying patient against the potential to save multiple recipients?

Are hospitals and physicians transparent enough about the organ donation process and potential conflicts?

*Note: Organ harvesting is the surgical removal of organs from a body for transplantation, research, or illegal trade. We will be focusing on legal organ harvesting.

*Please do your own research and share resources related to this topic in the comment section*

#======# Donation!

Thank you for being a member. I have made a donation page for those who want to help with the costs.

https://examinedlife.uk/donation/

#======# Group chat

We have a telegram group chat and here is a link for the front door:

https://t.me/+o9T9DL5u6AcwMmRk

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The Examined Life, "Let's Discuss..." session is an open discussion.

The format of this event will be:

13:15 - Free flow group discussion about the topic.

14:00 ish - We will be splitting into smaller groups for more engaging discussion about what interests each of you.

16:00 - End of the official meetup. Most often attendees stay and continue discussing up to around 18:00.

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Please RSVP if you can commit to attending and change your RSVP if something comes up. Inaccurate RSVPs can keep potential attendees on the waiting list and makes it difficult to plan for room sizes and bookings.

Art work: Still Life. An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life 1640 by Harmen Steenwyck