Re:Surgeons Transplant Pig Kidney into a Patient
by kerkeslager on Thursday March 21, 2024 @07:10PM
(#39785549)
> Sure, but is a low quality life worse than oblivion?
Unequivocally yes. I think you are drastically underestimating how bad a life can get.
> Plus, if the suffering experienced by this patient helps cause someone else (or many someones else for centuries to come) to have a higher quality of life, one person's suffering can buy a lot of QALYs.
Exactly, that's why I'm arguing that this person's choice is brave.
Re:Surgeons Transplant Pig Kidney into a Patient
by macNchz on Thursday March 21, 2024 @07:33PM
(#39785708)
> Sure, but is a low quality life worse than oblivion?
In my opinion having had a firsthand view of what life with major illness, disability, and suffering can be like, absolutely yes.
For an excellent dive into this topic, I highly recommend the book Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.
Re:Surgeons Transplant Pig Kidney into a Patient
by mxkopy on Thursday March 21, 2024 @05:30PM
(#39784643)
This viewpoint comes about from a lack of empathy/knowledge of the type of pain that would want someone to seek death.
As a general rule of thumb, trying to decide someone’s own stream of consciousness is assholeish behavior.
Plus, if the suffering experienced by this patient helps cause someone else (or many someones else for centuries to come) to have a higher quality of life, one person's suffering can buy a lot of QALYs.
Alternatively if as my mother tells me, I'm doomed to an eternity of unimaginable physical and psychological torture by supernaturally powerful fallen angelic beings with complete control of my entire sensorium, even a few more minutes of being hooked up to a hospital bed with doctors trying to make things better are preferable to that!