Suppose That the World's Greatest Video Game Designer Was Admitted

question 60

Multiple Choice

Suppose that the world's greatest video game designer was admitted to the hospital suffering from advanced liver failure. Every video game he designs produces hours and hours and happiness for tens of thousands of people, and if he survives he will produce many more video games. A little while later, a homeless man who has no friends or family is admitted to the emergency room after being hit by a car. Doctors realize that if they secretly let the badly injured homeless man die, they could transplant his liver into the video game designer; if they save the homeless man, the video game designer will die. Which of the following would an act utilitarian be most likely to say about what the doctors should do?

• A) The doctors should save the homeless man because designing video games is not useful to society, and so it is not worth sacrificing someone's life to have better video games.
• B) The doctors should let the homeless man die and transplant his liver because the happiness resulting from the video game designer's work will outweigh the loss of happiness associated with the homeless man's death.
• C) The doctors should save the homeless man because the benefits of having a rule that forbids doctors from letting people die to harvest their organs would outweigh the benefits of saving the video game designer.
• D) The doctors should let the homeless man die and transplant his liver because saving the homeless man would benefit one person, whereas saving the video game designer would benefit many people.

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Definitions:

Transitional Epithelium

A form of epithelial tissue capable of expanding and shrinking, situated along the linings of organs like the bladder.

Uterus

A female reproductive organ where a fertilized egg implants and develops into a fetus.

Fetus

The developmental stage of a mammal occurring after embryonic stage and before birth, during which organs and structures continue to develop.

Menstrual Cycle

The monthly series of physiological changes in women and female primates that involves ovulation and the possibility of fertilization if sexual intercourse occurs.