A Critical Appraisal of Carl Cohen “Presumed Consent” in Organ Donation

INTRODUCTION: This paper identifies the Achilles heels in Carl Cohen’s notion of organ donation. It posits that presumed consent cannot sufficiently solve the problem of organ shortage. Presumed consent though might improve the number of organs available; it does not resolve all moral challenges faced by presumed refusal as assumed by Cohen.
METHODS: In achieving this, we critically analyze concepts and processes involved in Carl Cohen’s presumed consent. We further identified ethical problems Cohen’s presumed consent failed to solve. This paper recommends a possible solution to the problem of organ shortage.
RESULTS: This paper concludes that Cohen’s presumed consent cannot sufficiently solve the problem of organ shortage.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The paper further shows that regenerative medicine, cloning, and other advanced medical research if well explored will solve to a large extent the problem of organ shortage.