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Paying for kidneys: the case against prohibition
Michael B Gill1, Robert M Sade
1Department of Philosophy, College of Charleston, SC, USA.
Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal
|September 5, 2002
Summary
Healthy individuals should be permitted to sell kidneys for payment, overturning current prohibitions. This ethical argument addresses moral objections and potential exploitation concerns regarding organ sales.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Medical Law
- Transplantation Ethics
Background:
- Current policies prohibit payment for organs, including kidneys, impacting organ availability.
- Live kidney donation is permitted, but financial compensation is illegal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To argue for the legalization of payment for live kidney donation.
- To examine the ethical and legal justifications for overturning the ban on kidney sales.
Main Methods:
- Ethical analysis of current organ donation policies.
- Examination of moral arguments, including Kantian ethics and consequentialism.
- Review of objections related to exploitation and respect for persons.
Main Results:
- The moral basis for current policies supports legalizing payment for kidneys.
- The objection that kidney sales are intrinsically wrong is addressed.
- Consequentialist concerns about exploitation are evaluated.
Conclusions:
- Legalizing payment for kidneys is ethically justifiable.
- The prohibition on financial compensation for kidneys should be overturned.
- The focus is on the legality of receiving payment, not purchasing organs.
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