New Harvest includes contributions from specialists in medical,
philosophical, psychological, religious, and legal fields. These essays
are not simply a collection, but were developed from a single conception
of the four ethical concerns of trans plan tation described in the first
chapter. The indi vid ual chapters are all parts of a structure unified
by the search for ethical foundations basic to the four concerns.
Transplantation is surrounded by a great deal of under- standable
emotional sensitivi ty. The authors trust that words like "procurement,"
"harvest," and possibly other expressions found in this book will not
offend. We use the current lan- but do so with objectivity and respect
for those who guage, are personally involved in transplantation. We have
made room for, and indeed have invited, different and sometimes
conflicting points of view on the complicated ethical ques- tions raised
by transplant operations. We can not assume that there is one right
answer to these questions, at least at our present level of scientific
knowledge and ethical wisdom. We do not presume to have identified and
analyzed all the ethical questions raised with equal thoroughness. There
are four ways in which the scope of the book is limited. Identifying
these limitations also helps designate what it is in its own right.
First, some questions have been given more attention than others.