Case Scenario:
Rewrite the give scenario:
I will start off by going over the patients who would not receive the heart and why. I will start with Jerry the 55 year old family man. At first glance it seems that Jerry has done everything right in his life but then we find out that he has done steroids. Nothing against him because he made that decision many years ago and without that steroids had those type of outcomes. Jerry is the sole provider for his family because his wife doesn't work or have any education beyond high school and they have three children that his is providing for. The only problem with this is that he doesn't benefit anyone outside of his family. Not that is anything wrong with what he does by utilitarianism which states "its central premise is that the rightness or wrongness of actions is determined by the goodness or badness of their consequences."(Ruggiero, 2011) While giving him the heart would the right thing to do in a since it is only right to his family. The greater good would be to allow someone else that impacts the community or many others to receive the heart. It not to say he that his impact is not important in the lives of those that he's in but the ones he does are only his three daughters and wife.
The second patient I would choose not receive the heart would be Lisa and I know this would not be a popular with a lot of people because we all see a sick child and want to help. Her father being oncologist in the community is compelling and many would say that he gives more back just by being a healthcare provider. Lisa parent's donation was very nice and will benefit the hospital, patients, and the community. Donating many should not entitle Lisa to receive the heart over anyone else. Her parent telling the hospital that they will only donate the money if she receives the heart is wrong and has bad consequences. Mill's acknowledged that "many people follow utility out fear of wrath or a favor from friends." Lisa's father would be asking for a favor from a friend and the hospital would be acting on fear of wrath because they want the money but don't want to feel that they have to out of fear. The biggest reason I would not choose Lisa to the heart would be because her past history of illness that lead to her first heart going bad. Giving Lisa the heart would only satisfy a short lived happiness. Most candidates for transplants have to be in good health to receive transplants.
The patient I would have to pick to receive the heart would the Ozzie and in many ways he seems undeserving of it. Most people would say that any who has lived there life the way Ozzie should not receive a heart or be trusted with something that someone else could benefit from. With all that said Ozzie has turned his life around since then. Ozzie started working with troubled teens in the community and with his back ground can't be duplicated. He made very bad decision early in his life, which are part of the reason he has heart problems now. Ozzie made life changing decision but the bad ones he made early in his life have come back to hurt him. The decision to give Ozzie the heart doesn't come easy but his life impacts some many others mostly kids that have futures. The consequences that come from choosing him would come off to the public and other as wrong to give a homeless former drug addict. The overall outcome would benefit the most people in my opinion because some many more in the community would benefit from Ozzie receiving the heart. Depending how much time I was given would reflect on the choice because at first glance I would choose Lisa or maybe Jerry. I don't believe Mills would agree with me to give Ozzie the heart because he believed "we shouldn't need to save someone from themselves." Which to me that means that for Ozzie's case even with the new heart what says he will not start using drugs again and cause his new heart to fail?
Breaking down the different three different candidates using other theories, making the decision falls under all three primary schools of ethics. Care-based, you want to make decision based on what you would want people to do for you.(Ruggiero, 2011) All three candidates want you to make your decision for them but it doesn't mean that it is the right choice. Consequential theory the ends have to just the means, so choosing a person without a good cause of why you picked will not work.(Ruggiero, 2011) Deontological theory states that everyone human rights should be respected when making decisions and puts an emphasis on doing the right thing.(Ruggiero, 2011) Deontological I believe does the best with this situation for the reason that choosing one of the candidates like Lisa because her parents have decided to give money is wrong. I do believe that Immanuel Kant would agree with my decision to choose Ozzie because he believed "in a since of moral law to complete the duty that you are appointed to complete regardless of the outcomes." (Kant, 2015). As the surgeon in charge of making this decision I would stand by my decision no matter which theory is used especially using utilitarianism because Ozzie would benefit more people by receiving the heart.