Blood and organ donation: the market and the fictitious goods.

The study by Richard M. Titmuss devoted to blood donation is still used today as a reference when concerned with donations in the medical field. This article gives the central theses of Titmuss and the reactions of economists faced with the affirmation of the superiority of a system based on donation and altruism compared with a system organized around a market and specific action. The article then illustrates that market/donation opposition reduces reality, as it omits the industrial dimension which plays a crucial role in the case of medical donation, Finally, based on informations regarding organ donation, the article explains the social structure without which, as Titmuss understood well, modern donation cannot be developed.