Ethical Thinking: Organ Transplantation - Essay Example

Baby Theresa was being used as a way to meet other people’s ends; it is immoral to kill so that another life can be saved; this baby’s parents want it dead to use its organs to benefit other babies. I agree with Rachel's claims that “the arguments in favor of transplanting Baby Theresa’s organs seem stronger than the arguments against it” (Rachel 5). Transplanting the organs would help other babies without hurting Baby Theresa.

If Theresa’s organs were to be transplanted, it would actually benefit many children. Further, since Theresa has neither conscious life nor feelings, nothing that is done to her is harmful. Theresa’s interests will not be abused because she has none. Her life is short and by killing her, no suffering or hardship would be imposed on her. Her preferences would not be ruined either. Based on the interpretation of respect to life, nothing disrespectful is done to baby Theresa since she is not used simply as a means People who argue that transplanting Theresa’s organs is unethical should consider that brain death is as a criterion for pronouncing people as legally dead.

When the brain stops functioning, there is no longer any anticipation of conscious life. No matter what is done, she would still die soon, while taking her organs would help a great deal in saving other children’s lives.