Dignity and Disability
Barker Lecture
Wednesday, April 9, 2014 · 4 - 5:30 PM
Samuel Kerstein, Professor of Philosophy, University of Maryland, College Park
When we allocate scarce life-saving resources such as organs for transplant, we determine who will live and who will die. This lecture aims to help determine just what ethical constraints should guide the allocation of resources. Some ethicists and policy makers claim that we should give treatment to someone who would return to full health after treatment rather than another who would be disabled. Professor Kerstein sets out reasons for rejecting this claim and considers whether it is consistent with a principle of respect for the dignity of persons.
Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy. Co-sponsored by the Dresher Center for the Humanities.