“What shall I do unto this people?” - Bioethical dilemmas in Jewish thought on medical resource allocation: The coexistence of opposing views

Life and death decisions have always been part of the medical profession. Modern discussions on resource allocation in health care deal with such critical situations, and seek ethical solutions that will benefit individuals and society as well as conserve scarce resources. Deontological ethics and utilitarianism are opposing ethical views, each with its own theory on solving moral dilemmas. Utilitarian logic aims at maximizing the benefit for the greatest number of people, while deontological theories strive to uphold pervasive moral principles. Jewish thought has always confronted the toughest of human predicaments head-on. As we review part of the Jewish discourse on distributive justice throughout the ages, we will show its relevance to modern discussions on medical resource allocation. As in modern secular ethics, Jewish thought juxtaposes the two aforementioned philosophical viewpoints, and constantly attempts to reconcile them. Extracting from each theory its strengths, the ethical conclusions reached in Jewish religious texts are relevant to issues of resource allocation throughout the ages.