Monday, January 31. 2011

Body ownership - I have a body vs I am a body

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If a hospital makes a fortune off products derived from blood samples you gave while they were treating you, should you get a share? Or are bodies special?

If we believe in redistribution of wealth to help the poorest, should we also do that for surplus organs like second kidneys? Or are bodies special?

etc.

The most important lecture you will hear this week.

Anne Phillips @ LSE
Bodies as possessions and objects
45 minutes + 30 minutes Q&A
 
I'll admit I've always had a weakness for the depth argument; interestingly, this has parallels to cyborg-issues. A grandfather clock does not make you a cyborg; a brainport does. How about a smartphone? Is it close enough to the body yet? How about a pacemaker, an enhancement inside your body? How about a cassette walkman? Where do we draw the line? Because it doesn't always seem to be at the skin.
Posted by Azundris in English at 09:02 | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0)
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Azundris on :

*Interesting point in the Q&A: Just because you own something doesn't mean you get to do anything you want with it. They make the point about property-as-in-land; mine's always been guns, cars, and cameras.

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