It would be helpful to me if you would elaborate on your response to Martha, because I don't know that it addresses her point. There are certainly qualitative differences between the relationship of organ donor to recipient vs parent to child, and of course pregnancy and parenting is harder than organ donation. But is the implication that it would be just for the state to require organ donation if it were more physically burdensome to the donor, or if there is a direct relationship (for example, a child of a sick parent)? I imagine you don't mean to imply either, but I don't see the relevance of the points in that case.
As a quite left-wing person, I believe strongly in a lot of what this site talks about, regarding the necessary interdependence of humans and that there are many needs we have which create just demands on those around us, including just demand for financial responses to need. I am deeply aware of the reality that individualistic approaches to rights and property ideas are a barrier to creating a society that treats interdependence with the seriousness it deserves. But I think there is good reason to treat the idea of legal demands of bodies - as in actual demanded use of blood, organs, etc. - with heightened scrutiny, because of how easily this idea can be and has been horrifically abused.
My main point in discussing the relative ease of organ donation is not that I think it should be compelled, but that it's a really exciting opportunity that I think more people would *like* to participate in, if they had a clear understanding of what it entailed.
It would be helpful to me if you would elaborate on your response to Martha, because I don't know that it addresses her point. There are certainly qualitative differences between the relationship of organ donor to recipient vs parent to child, and of course pregnancy and parenting is harder than organ donation. But is the implication that it would be just for the state to require organ donation if it were more physically burdensome to the donor, or if there is a direct relationship (for example, a child of a sick parent)? I imagine you don't mean to imply either, but I don't see the relevance of the points in that case.
As a quite left-wing person, I believe strongly in a lot of what this site talks about, regarding the necessary interdependence of humans and that there are many needs we have which create just demands on those around us, including just demand for financial responses to need. I am deeply aware of the reality that individualistic approaches to rights and property ideas are a barrier to creating a society that treats interdependence with the seriousness it deserves. But I think there is good reason to treat the idea of legal demands of bodies - as in actual demanded use of blood, organs, etc. - with heightened scrutiny, because of how easily this idea can be and has been horrifically abused.
My main point in discussing the relative ease of organ donation is not that I think it should be compelled, but that it's a really exciting opportunity that I think more people would *like* to participate in, if they had a clear understanding of what it entailed.