Deontology Theory Case Study Analysis

Doctor You

This week’s assignment presents a profoundly difficult dilemma, with you in an imagined professional role: You are the lead surgeon managing a liver transplant.

A healthy young woman, Linda, had a fatal car accident this morning. She was an organ donor, your hospital has harvested her organs, and there are three liver transplant candidates on the hospital’s most-urgent list. All will die within the next month without a liver. You must choose one of the three candidates.  You have about 12 hours left to make your decision. In this written assignment, please provide your complete  rationale for why you chose one of the following candidates.

Recipient A is Francis. He is 57. He is a recovering alcoholic who has not had a drink in 9 months but has relapsed many times before. Francis is a beloved husband and a father to three teenage children. He is the president of a small, struggling credit union that may fail without him.

Recipient B is Miriam. She is 34. She doesn’t do much with her life, and she’s not a very nice person. She comes from a very wealthy family; her father recently donated $2 million to the hospital’s cancer research program. He’s said that he intends to donate even more—a whole new pediatric wing—in the next year. There’s a large risk that he will cease donating if his daughter dies.

Recipient C is Benji. He is 19. He has his whole life ahead of him. He’s a college sophomore getting good grades and thinking about becoming a doctor himself. There is a strong risk, however, based on past complications, that his body will reject the liver.

You are to analyze this from BOTH a DEONTOLOGICAL and UTILITARIAN perspective.  Who would be chosen applying Deontology, who would be chosen applying Utilitarianism?

SUGGESTED STRUCTURE:

Section One

Part 1 – Explain Deontology – on what perspective is it grounded, the Categorical Imperative, Perfect Duties, ID critiques of this theory

Part 2 – Apply this ethical theory  to the scenario explaining how its principles lead to the choice made.

Section Two

Part 1- Explain Utilitariaism -on what perspective is it grounded, the difference between Classical Utilitarianism and Rule Utilitarianism, ID critiques of this theory

Part 2 – Apply this ethical theory to the same scenario explaining how its principles lead to the choice(s) made.