Organ Donation Ethics: Are Donors Autonomous within Collective Networks?

Can and will a person become an organ donor? Before such an altruistic act will occur, there is the ethic behind the action. There is an internalization of an ethic that the person agrees or disagrees with organ donation, no matter the variant. There is a large sense of agency and responsibility over the integrity of one’s body. We do care what our “network” thinks about our personally held norms of living donation and sanctity of the body. I present the position that understanding of the norms of living organ donation requires an examination of the personal social “network” surrounding the potential donor. Networks rely on connection which may lead to deliberate consensus building (or a reason to conform in order to limit disharmony). But I argue, even when there is a supportive social environment supporting a particular bioethical value, there will be some level of network level engagement with others in this process (for better or for worse)