The right of public access to cadaver organs

Abstract

It is argued that waste during a period of scarcity which results in human suffering and death is bad. It is then argued that it is immoral for waste to continue especially if nonwaste requires no sacrifice to the responsible parties. Allowing one's organs, which might otherwise be transplanted to help others, to deteriorate in the grave is an example of waste. Since a prodigious number of people might benefit from an organ transplant, the waste of organs is wrong. Moreover, since the deceased no longer exists, the removal of his organs constitutes no sacrifice on the deceased's part. Therefore, it is immoral to waste transplantable human organs.