Wednesday, Apr. 24, 2002 - 2:37 p.m.
"If you could save the life of six people by sacrificing the life of one person, why don't we sacrifice one healthy person to save the life of six people who need organ transplants?"
I know that you have all been waiting with bated breath for my answer to such a profound question. I search my back bedroom and could not find my original paper, so I am going to have to try and think of a new answer. There are three classes that, no matter how hard I tried, I never did well in. 1) Math (any kind of math) 2) Geography (unless we are attacking that country in particular I have no idea where it is�and plate tectonics must die!!! And 3) Philosophy. Just mention �The Allegory of the Cave� and I will start screaming and running out of the room.
This question, to me, is one of choice. If a person chooses to sacrifice their own life to save others (i.e. the person who throws themselves on a grenade to save everyone else in the foxhole) is choosing their fate. Of their own free will. To designate someone�s existence to be little more than an organ donation incubator, would take away their ability to choose their own fate. Although the logical answer would be that the life of one should be spared to save many others, the ability for one person to choose who it would be, would be impossible.
I read a book once that talked about men on a lifeboat after a shipwreck. (I think it was called �The Tradition of the Sea� or something like that.) They were stranded on this boat for weeks, and when there were rescued, the captain was put on trial for murder because they had killed a sickly crew member so they could eat him. (True story from the 19th Century). This is a similar situation. They had a sick and dying crew member who was �sacrificed� so that the other five people could live. They were rescued a few days after. The Captain claimed that he was already dead, and someone else said that his heart was still beating, although he had been unconscious for two days.
Justifiable homicide? Possibly, but remember that all convicts that are executed for their crimes have �homicide� listed as their cause of death. I guess it is true that some crimes do go unpunished if that is the case. (Please do not e-mail me about the death penalty. I live in CA for goodness sake where they execute people once every four years with a �waiting list� of 800).
Any opinions???????????????????
TTFN
OKINAWA
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