• Recall this week’s presentation. Does a person in need of an organ transplant have a moral right to obtain that transplant, supposing the availability of the needed organ?
• How should we choose who gets a transplant, supposing that there are not enough organs for all who need them?

2——-

• How do you define privacy?
• Do you believe privacy is a moral right? Why or why not?
• Are there any cases in which public health policy justifies the violation of the right to privacy?

3——–

Some consider fair access to health care a moral right, while others disagree. We have defined the term moral right as “a privilege to act in some specific, intentional manner or to obtain some specific benefit because one is a moral agent living in a community of moral agents under a shared moral standard.”

• Is access to health care a moral right?
• Why or why not?

4——-

Stem cells are undifferentiated, primitive cells with the ability both to multiply and to differentiate into specific kinds of cells. Stem cells hold the promise of allowing researchers to grow specialized cells or tissue, which could be used to treat injuries or disease (e.g., spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, strokes, burns).” (Slevin, 2010)

Choose ONE of the following issues and post to its thread with supporting evidence.

1. Discuss what you feel are the potential benefits of stem cell research for Alzheimer’s patients and their families.
2. Share your perspective on the stem cell debate regarding donation of surplus embryos to couples for “embryo adoption.”
3. Why is the task of disposing unused frozen human embryos different from disposing of other medical tissue?
4. Discuss why you think embryonic stem cell research “crosses a moral boundary.”