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. Apply a form of Nonconsequentialist theory to each. Nonconsequentialist theory includes the forms of nonconsequentialist theory, all of Kant’s principles, and the Prima Facie duties. Use specific forms of theory, define the form in your own words, and apply the theory to the specific dilemma.

Answer 1

The categorical imperative of Kant's Deontology will require the surgeon to do his duty, that is to perform the surgery if it was required. Kant's deontology would not permit the action of the surgeon, and would consider the the action of unnecessary surgery to be unethical. The categorical imperative of deontology would require the surgeon to use his rationale, ask himself that whether he would have carried such unnecessary surgery on all of his patients no matter what the consequence is, and if not, then he would not have performed that surgery.