Are organ donations expressions of altruism or solidarity? Toward a moral economy of transplantation medicine
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6452568 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hagai Boas (0000-0001-8201-1886, Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-08 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Theory & Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1477-8211 • E-ISSN: 1477-822X |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1057/s41285-025-00221-0 |
| OpenAlex | W4412150548 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 53 |
Organ donations are often referred to as tokens of altruism. Media representations of organ donation tend to emphasize its heroic features by using idioms such as “gift of life.” But is “altruism” the appropriate framing for organ donations? In this paper, I delve into the moral economy of organ donations. I contend that altruism is a misnomer for organ donations and suggest replacing it with the concept of solidarity. After discussing the analytical and conceptual differences between altruism and solidarity, I’m introducing the different ontologies of living and deceased organ donations, asking whether they meet criteria of altruism or solidarity. I conclude by arguing that, although central to the discourse on organ donations, altruism does not capture the nuances of organ donation patterns. Rather I propose to depict the moral economy of organ donations as embedded in different donation realities that tend, in different contexts, to be more solidarity driven than altruistic. Referring to sentiments of solidarity rather than altruism as motivation for organ donations, however, must be inclusive as possible and maintain the rule of unconditional donation
Altruism (biology · Economics · Environmental ethics · Moral economy · Organ donation · Organ transplantation · Political science · Positive economics · Solidarity · Blood donation and transfusion practices · Law · Medicine · Organ Donation and Transplantation · Philosophy · Psychology · Reproductive Health and Technologies · Social Psychology · Internal Medicine · Transplantation
Solidarity in Biomedicine and Beyond
The Birth of Bioethics
Chapter 8 The Economics of Fairness, Reciprocity and Altruism – Experimental Evidence and New Theories
Prosocial behavior and altruism
The Gift Relationship
The Strains of Commitment
The Puzzle People
The Logic of Practice
Family issues implicit in living donation
The ethical economy and competitive markets
What is altruism
Can altruism lead to a willingness to take risks
Beyond Altruism – The Moral Economy of Israelis Who Donated A Kidney to Strangers
The Division of Labour in Society
Kin Selection as the Key to Altruism
Contractual thought and Durkheim's theory of the social
| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |