Drake G. Smith
Putman
Hours 3 and 5
15 November 2016
FFA Argument Paper
Ethics are what is morally right, they are ideas well cemented in what is right. "Flowers for Algernon" is a story about a man named Charlie Gordon who possesses mental disabilities and a low IQ of 68. He attempts to improve his mind and its capabilities by undergoing a procedure which would increase his intelligence. Charlie Gordon's doctors failed to act ethically when they performed the surgery upon him.
Charlie Gordon's doctors failed to act ethically when they performed the surgery upon him. "Step two is to make a prediction, a guess about the future. A prediction is based on facts that are relevant to the situation at hand."(Dobrin). "Ask if you could live with …show more content…
"In sum, how can this patient be benefited by medical and nursing care, and how can harm be avoided?"( Siegler, M., and W. Winslade). Harm could have been avoided if more testing had been conducted and Charles wouldn't have suffered from the bad effects. They didn't test enough to prevent such an accident from occurring. The fallout of the event was Charlie's loss of new found intellect. "What ethical issues arise concerning improving or enhancing a patient's quality of life?"( Siegler, M., and W. Winslade). The tests that the doctors conducted can be evaluated and they bring to light, a lot of ethical questions. One such ethical question is: "Are we to consider such actions as increasing ones intelligence by surgery morally and socially acceptable?" If such actions or abilities were possible, how would humanity go about using something of such great power? As a wise person once said: "Great power is accompanied with great responsibilities." If we accepted such actions as morally and socially justifiable, how would we go about doing them? Would we only help those who are in dire need of it or would we allow for any person no matter what intelligence to conduct such actions? Much of the time, the reason behind people becoming smart or smarter are due to their efforts to do so. So would we allow a person who hasn't tried as hard as a person who has worked hard to become smarter just …show more content…
"In sum, how can this patient be benefited by medical and nursing care, and how can harm be avoided?"( Siegler, M., and W. Winslade). "What are the prospects, with or without treatment, for a return to normal life, and what physical, mental, and social deficits might the patient experience even if treatment succeeds?"( Siegler, M., and W. Winslade). The surgeries benefited Charlie through raising his intelligence. The rise in his intelligence increased the odds that he could in the future obtain a better job. The chances of him ever "succeeding" in the work place and getting a job better than janitor would stay very slim in odds if not for the operation, the operation improved his odds of
Putman
Hours 3 and 5
15 November 2016
FFA Argument Paper
Ethics are what is morally right, they are ideas well cemented in what is right. "Flowers for Algernon" is a story about a man named Charlie Gordon who possesses mental disabilities and a low IQ of 68. He attempts to improve his mind and its capabilities by undergoing a procedure which would increase his intelligence. Charlie Gordon's doctors failed to act ethically when they performed the surgery upon him.
Charlie Gordon's doctors failed to act ethically when they performed the surgery upon him. "Step two is to make a prediction, a guess about the future. A prediction is based on facts that are relevant to the situation at hand."(Dobrin). "Ask if you could live with …show more content…
"In sum, how can this patient be benefited by medical and nursing care, and how can harm be avoided?"( Siegler, M., and W. Winslade). Harm could have been avoided if more testing had been conducted and Charles wouldn't have suffered from the bad effects. They didn't test enough to prevent such an accident from occurring. The fallout of the event was Charlie's loss of new found intellect. "What ethical issues arise concerning improving or enhancing a patient's quality of life?"( Siegler, M., and W. Winslade). The tests that the doctors conducted can be evaluated and they bring to light, a lot of ethical questions. One such ethical question is: "Are we to consider such actions as increasing ones intelligence by surgery morally and socially acceptable?" If such actions or abilities were possible, how would humanity go about using something of such great power? As a wise person once said: "Great power is accompanied with great responsibilities." If we accepted such actions as morally and socially justifiable, how would we go about doing them? Would we only help those who are in dire need of it or would we allow for any person no matter what intelligence to conduct such actions? Much of the time, the reason behind people becoming smart or smarter are due to their efforts to do so. So would we allow a person who hasn't tried as hard as a person who has worked hard to become smarter just …show more content…
"In sum, how can this patient be benefited by medical and nursing care, and how can harm be avoided?"( Siegler, M., and W. Winslade). "What are the prospects, with or without treatment, for a return to normal life, and what physical, mental, and social deficits might the patient experience even if treatment succeeds?"( Siegler, M., and W. Winslade). The surgeries benefited Charlie through raising his intelligence. The rise in his intelligence increased the odds that he could in the future obtain a better job. The chances of him ever "succeeding" in the work place and getting a job better than janitor would stay very slim in odds if not for the operation, the operation improved his odds of