Law Commons^™

On The Human Body As Property: The Meaning Of Embodiment, Markets, And The Meaning Of Strangers, Thomas H. Murray

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

For as long as I can recall, newspapers have published brief items in which someone has calculated what the human body is "worth" on the open market. The value of the body-as reduced to its chemical components-was never more than a few dollars. A more accurate accounting, though, would include the market value of transplantable organs and tissues, as well as the potential bonanza to be had should a cell line cultured from that body prove valuable to the biotechnology industry. The bottom line could be anywhere from tens of thousands to perhaps millions of dollars.

Both moral and legal …