Question

On the TV show MASH an army surgeon performed an unnecessary operation on a battalion commander to remove him from battle during the time he would need to recuperate from the surgery. The surgeon did this because he believed that the commander was over-aggressive which resulted in an abnormally high casualty rate among his men. A fellow surgeon counseled the operating surgeon that it is unethical to operate on a healthy body. However, the operating surgeon felt he was justified because he would probably save the lives of many men while the commander was recuperating. He believed more good than harm would come from performing the operation. To what extend do you feel each surgeon was right in his moral position. Does the good end justify the means? Use a specific form of egoism or utilitarianism for each surgeon. Define the term(s) you use in the response.

Answer 1

Each surgeon had his own ethical egoism which is the normative ethical position stating that moral agents ought to do what is in their own self interest. Both the surgeons were right in their own moral positions. The forms of egoism that each surgeon took are:

1) The operating surgeon was a personal ethical egoist. This means that he was of the opinion that one should act in his or her self interest. The operating surgeon felt that the commander was over-aggresive and it resulted in an abnormally high casualty rate among his men. Operating on him would therefore save the lives of many men and thus his action would result in more good than harm. This is however, a personal opinion of the operating surgeon based on his own self interest.

2) The fellow surgeon was a universal egoist. That is, he believed that everyone should act in ways that are in their self interest. He believed that it was unethical to operate on a healthy body. He therefore tried to counsel the operating surgeon on the right ways of conduct. In this way, he tried to make the operating surgeon act in ways of his self interest.