You are the Lead Surgeon in a major hospital, and by virtue of your seniority you are also the key decision maker for transplant cases. Right now you have three people (Jerry 55 M, family man, mid-level manager, Lisa 12 F, life-long health issues, and Ozzy 38 M, homeless drug abuser) who are awaiting and hoping for a suitable heart to become available. Lisa's dad on the other hand, promised to donate 2 millions dollars to the hospital if his daughter gets treated. Your phone rings suddenly, and you are notified that a heart has become available- meaning that you need to make a quick yet sound decision about which patient will receive the heart and then schedule surgery for today.
Your dilemma is that you have to make a painful medical decision and to explain, in writing, who benefits from what you decided, who gets denied a needed benefit, and why. Use the Utilitarian ethical philosophy of John Stuart Mill to solve this dilemma.
You are the Lead Surgeon in a major hospital, and by virtue of your seniority you are also the key decision maker for transplant cases. Right now you have three people (Jerry 55 M, family man, mid-level manager, Lisa 12 F, life-long health issues, and Ozzy 38 M, homeless drug abuser) who are awaiting and hoping for a suitable heart to become available. Lisa's dad on the other hand, promised to donate 2 millions dollars to the hospital if his daughter gets treated. Your phone rings suddenly, and you are notified that a heart has become available- meaning that you need to make a quick yet sound decision about which patient will receive the heart and then schedule surgery for today.
Your dilemma is that you have to make a painful medical decision and to explain, in writing, who benefits from what you decided, who gets denied a needed benefit, and why. Use the Utilitarian ethical philosophy of John Stuart Mill to solve this dilemma.
