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Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2022!

STORY SUMMARY: Should medicine developed through privately funded research be auctioned off to the highest bidder or distributed to those most in need? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Amaya has developed a “bug” based on a rare flower that actively finds and repairs damaged cells in the human body. Her friend, and later husband, helps her bring additional funding to the project. The important flower is quite rare and after more than a decade Amaya is unable to replicate the flower’s properties. This puts her husband, and her investors, into a difficult situation of deciding if the neediest should get access to the limited treatments available, or if it should be auctioned off to the super rich. Amaya finally cracks the code and is able to replicate the flower’s properties when she dies in a mysterious lab explosion. Her daughter, Jayde, grows up fighting against selling the limited supply of medicine to the highest bidder. Over time, Jayde grows old and dies. At her funeral the truth is revealed to her husband, the company had her killed in order to perpetuate scarcity and secure increased profits.

DISCUSSION: This is a story we have seen in other variations, but this is the clearest example we have seen of the question, “How do you distribute medicine when resources are scarce?” It would seem obvious you would give them to those most in need. However, those able to pay the most mean more profits, and more resources to develop future treatments. What role, and how much, should the government have? There are no great answers for any of these questions, but they are useful fodder for discussion all the same.

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Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020!

STORY SUMMARY: A woman is diagnosed with a heart condition and is offered the ability to grow a new heart to replace hers. She declines based on her religious beliefs. Her husband, who has medical power of attorney, waits until she is unconscious and near death, and goes against her wishes and orders the life saving procedure. When she wakes and finds out what he has done she divorces him. Even after the divorce and going out of jail, he does not regret his choice.

DISCUSSION: This seems like a very real possibility today, or in the near future. There might not be any bad guys in this story. Mad respect to the woman for having the conviction of her faith. Respect to the man for saving his wife in support of his own ethics. Interesting how the mother, who is also religious, came to the conclusion the transplant was fine. The man clearly loved his wife, enough to save her, and lose her. Maybe he should have told her he would be unable to fulfill her wishes and to give medical power to someone else? This might be different if it was about children.

BOOK LINK: Download the accompanying short story here.

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E63. "Bugs In The Valley" - How do you decide who gets scarce medical treatments?

E35. "Sacrificing Mercy" - Would you let your spouse die for their faith?