What Should You Do with a Dead Body?

T he philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) is today known as the founder of utilitarianism, the ethical theory that actions should be evaluated based on their outcomes and, specifically, the extent to which they promote happiness or reduce suffering.On its surface, utilitarianism promotes the maximum amount of happiness for the greatest number of people, but it also potentially leads to further ethical consequences.For instance, if a doctor has five patients in need of organ transplants, and one healthy individual can provide all of the necessary organs, then from a strict utilitarian perspective sacrificing the one healthy person to save the five patients would (theoretically) maximize overall happiness.