Orgaandonatie: altruïsme, coöperatie of beide?

In order to reduce the shortage of organ donors there may be an inclination to choose prematurely and with insufficient scientific foundation for a system of donor registration which is based on cooperation enforced by the government. This is the choice which was made by the Dutch Coordination Group for Organ Donation in the recently published ‘Organ Donation Master Plan’. This carries the risk of undermining the altruistic basis for organ donation. The authors of this article propose a broader scientific approach in which altruism is a central element of cooperation and solidarity, and argue for psychological research into the moral and emotional aspects of donor registration.