Philosophy Bites

Donna Dickenson on Body Shopping

May 25, 2008
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ANECDOTE

The Moore Case

  • John Moore's spleen was removed, and he was asked to donate further tissues, including hair, sperm, and blood.
  • A $3 billion cell line was created from his tissues, but he had no legal claim.
INSIGHT

Tissue Ownership

  • Tissues removed from the body become res nullius, 'no one's thing', according to common law.
  • Dr. Gold, who developed the cell line from Moore's tissue, was granted ownership based on Lockean labor arguments.
INSIGHT

Philosophical Models and Biotechnology

  • Traditional philosophical models like Locke's and Marx's struggle to address the commodification of body parts.
  • Dickenson suggests differentiating rights based on labor involved, like egg donation versus spleen removal.
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