Transplantation is a medically successful and cost‐effective way to treat people whose organs have failed—but not enough organs are available to meet demand. This book is concerned with the major ethical problems raised by policies for acquiring organs. The major topics are the rights of the dead, the role of the family, opt in and opt out systems, the conscription of organs, living organ donation from adults and children, directed donation and priority for donors, and the sale of organs. The book uses concepts from moral and political theory such as autonomy, rights, posthumous interests, jus ... More

Transplantation is a medically successful and cost‐effective way to treat people whose organs have failed—but not enough organs are available to meet demand. This book is concerned with the major ethical problems raised by policies for acquiring organs. The major topics are the rights of the dead, the role of the family, opt in and opt out systems, the conscription of organs, living organ donation from adults and children, directed donation and priority for donors, and the sale of organs. The book uses concepts from moral and political theory such as autonomy, rights, posthumous interests, justice, and well‐being, in a context informed by the clinical, legal, and policy aspects of transplantation. The result is a rigorous philosophical exploration of real problems and options. The ethics of acquiring organs for transplantation is of great intellectual interest and practical importance. This book will be of profit not only to students and academics who work in applied ethics and bioethics, but also to the lawyers, policy‐makers, clinicians, and lobby groups interested in transplantation.