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. Using the scenario of the army surgeon operating on a healthy person, respond to the ethical dilemma using Virtue Ethics. Be certain to identify the 2 vices and the mean of this specific dilemma.

Answer 1

A virtue is a trait or quality that is considered to be morally good and hence is taken as a basis of principle and good moral being. Vice is a practice or behaviour which is considered as immoral. Virtue ethics is the moral principle and character of the person carrying out an action.

The ethical dilemma of the operating surgeon is that, on one hand he removed a battalion commander from battle with the help of an unnecessary operation claiming that he was over aggressive which was resulting in abnormally high rates of casualty among his men; on the other hand the operating surgeon has been counseled by a fellow surgeon on the grounds of unethically operating on a healthy body. Therefore these two situations have created a dilemma for the operating surgeon.

Even though the operating surgeon meant the welfare of the majority, that is the lives of many men who were under the commander, his action was immoral. Therefore, the two vices that were identified were cheating and misguiding the commander as he performed the unnecesary operation and breaking ethical norms of operation which needs to be followed universally.