- Question
Should the sale of human organs be legalised
Should people be allowed to buy and sell human organs? This entry sets out the two positions on the question — that the sale of human organs should be legalised, and that it should not — weighing supply against exploitation.
Position 1 of 2
Read this position →Yes, the sale of human organs should be legalized
This position holds that paying for human organs should be lawful. Proponents argue that the shortage of donated organs costs lives on waiting lists, that payment would expand supply, and that adults should be able to decide what happens to their own bodies.
Position 2 of 2
Read this position →No, the sale of human organs should not be legalized
This position holds that the sale of human organs should remain prohibited. Opponents argue that only the poor would sell, that poverty makes such consent coercive rather than free, and that a market would treat human bodies as commodities.