Why Is Flowers For Algernon Ethical

1073 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Autonomy in medicine

Today doctors and scientist have to make sure their test and experiments follow an ethical guideline. The short story “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes shows expert not following these guidelines. These guidelines include having respect for the patient, a favorable risk ratio and having social and clinical value. In this story, the main character Charlie has a low IQ, but after receiving surgery, he then gets smarter than the doctors and scientists. The surgery unexpectedly wears off, and he becomes back to his low IQ self again. The surgery was ethical was not ethical because the head scientist does not have respect for their subject. The risk ratio is not favorable, and although some may say otherwise, there is no independent review. Because the …show more content…

Dr. Nemur and Dr Strauss are arguing about whether or not they should use Charlie,“Dr Nemur was worried about using me but Dr. Strauss told him Miss Kinnian recommended me the best from all the people who she was teaching”. This shows that Ms Kinnian recommended Charlie and most likely reviewed the surgery. Ms.Kinnian cares for Charlie, so would not recommend him without looking into the surgery. What this argument fails to consider is the fact that Ms. Kinnian was the only one that reviewed it. There was no other person allowed. Dr. Nemur even specifically told Charlie not to tell anyone, “ Joe Carp said hey look where Charlie had his operation what did they do Charlie put some brains in. I was going to tell him, but I remembered Dr. Strauss said no”. This goes to show how little people are allowed to know about the operation. Even the friend of the patient is not allowed to know. This is no ethical because then people that care are then not allowed to give their review on the subject. Therefore there may not be a proper amount of people that is needed for a proper

Show More
Related

  • Riser V. American Medical Int L Inc Case Study

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    American Medical Int’l, Inc. According to this theory, individuals’ decisions are guided by what they are supposed to do, not by consequences or effects. That is to say, a person’s action is ethically right if it coincides with a prevailing moral duty (“Deontological Ethics,” 2007). In the dilemma involving the patient Riser, Dr. Lang violated the theory of deontological ethics by not performing his duty of acquiring informed consent from the patient. By standard of conduct, Dr. Lang was supposed to present a consent form to Riser prior to the operation that would explain the procedure of a femoral arteriogram (although it was supposed to be bilateral arteriograms instead) and thoroughly explain the possible benefits and risks of the procedure. As a result, the patient should have the right to decide whether the femoral arteriogram should be performed or not. However, Riser was not aware of the femoral arteriogram at all. Therefore, deontological ethics should have been followed, which would advise Dr. Lang to follow the ethical duties of a healthcare professional, and those include obtaining informed consent from the

    Read More

  • Terrence Ackerman Autonomy

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cullen and Klein understand that deception is wrong and disrespectful to the patient but criticize that some cases are more complicated and not so black and white. They argue that physicians should be able to withhold information that can significantly benefit the patient. The key part is that the benefit is greater than what the deception causes.

    Read More

  • Why Is Flowers For Algernon Unethical

    1290 Words  | 3 Pages

    To make this guideline ethical, “any risks must be balanced by the benefits to subjects, and/or the important new knowledge society will gain. The riskier the research study, the more benefit it must offer to be considered ethical. As a part of this, the risks and burdens should be as low as possible.” (Emanuel et al. p.5 ¶8). This means that the chance of having a benefit must be more than a chance of a risk to be treated ethical. Charlie acquired a higher chance of death than receiving the benefit, violating the rule of Favorable Risk-Benefit Ratio. “Algernon died two days ago.” (Keyes June 10, ¶1). Even though Algernon was the first test subject to receive the experiment, Charlie was the first human to obtain the experiment. Since Algernon died, there could be a chance that Charlie could also perish because of the experiment. In the story, there was a more chance of a risk than benefit, making it unfair. In addition, Charlie figured about what had happened and what had gone wrong. “The unforeseen development, which I have taken the liberty of calling the Algernon-Gordon Effect, is the logical extension of the entire intelligence speed-up. The hypothesis here proven may be described simply in the following terms: Artificially increased intelligence deteriorates at a rate of time directly proportional to the quantity of the increase.” (Keyes June 5, ¶5).

    Read More

  • Respect For Patients, Physicians, And The Truth By Susan Cullen And Margaret Brown

    1447 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most complex, ever-changing careers is the medical field. Physicians are not only faced with medical challenges, but also with ethical ones. In “Respect for Patients, Physicians, and the Truth”, by Susan Cullen and Margaret Klein, they discuss to great extent the complicated dilemmas physicians encounter during their practice. In their publication, Cullen and Klein discuss the pros and cons of disclosing the medical diagnosis (identifying the nature or cause of the disease), and the prognosis (the end result after treating the condition). But this subject is not easily regulated nor are there guidelines to follow. One example that clearly illustrates the ambiguity of the subject is when a patient is diagnosed with a serious, life-threatening

    Read More

  • Ethical Dilemmas In The Case Of Marguerite M And The Angioram?

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    Healthcare creates unique dilemmas that must consider the common good of every patient. Medical professionals, on a frequent basis, face situations that require complicated, and at times, difficult decision-making. The medical matters they decide on are often sensitive and critical in regards to patient needs and care. In the Case of Marguerite M and the Angiogram, the medical team in both cases were faced with the critical question of which patient gets the necessary medical care when resources are limited. In like manner, when one patient receives the appropriate care at the expense of another, medical professionals face the possibility of liability and litigation. These medical circumstances place a burden on the healthcare professionals to think and act in the best interest of the patient while still considering the ethical and legal issues they may confront as a result of their choices and actions. Medical ethics and law are always evolving as rapid advances in all areas of healthcare take place.

    Read More

  • Death with Dignity or Sanctity of Life: Who Gets to Choose?

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Denise Dudzinski, PhD, MTS, Helene Starks, PhD, MPH, Nicole White, MD, MA (2009) ETHICS IN MEDICINE. Retrieved from: http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pad.html

    Read More

  • Ethics In Charlie Gordon's 'Flowers For Algernon'

    622 Words  | 2 Pages

    Siegler, M., and W. Winslade. "Ethics in Medicine." Clinical Ethics. By A. R. Jonsen. 7th ed. N.p.:

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Christine Mitchell's When Living Is A Fate Worse Than Death

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    Charlotte’s parents thought otherwise, the Ethics Advisory Committee had to get involved. The debate surrounded if the doctors were in the right to control the life of someone who were incapable of deciding themselves, or is it the parents right. The Ethics Advisory Committee, stated that the parents were superior to those of the hospital and the hospital should conduct with less painful test. Charlotte’s parents wanted the doctors to continue testing until it was determined that her life diffidently had no chance of remaining. Because, of Charlotte’s parents’ desires unfortunately caused Charlotte to die a painful death without her parents. If the patient is unable to speak for their selves, the family should be able to have some say in the medical treatment, however; if the doctors have tried everything they could do, the hospital should have final decisions whether or not the patient dies or treatment

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Ethical Choice

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    McCarthy faced an ethical choice of performing an operation on a living dog. She had to choose between two sides. One which favored the dog lab because it was an excellent learning opportunity. She believed that “learning about the cardiovascular system on a living animal would make it more understandable and would therefore make us better doctors” (McCarthy 727). Another, where they valued the importance of life and did not want to kill a dog for their benefit since they could just learn the material by other means. McCarthy unable to dedicate herself to one side said “I didn’t want to kill a dog, but I certainly wanted to take advantage of every learning offered me” (McCarthy 727). She chooses to do the lab because it would have led her to become a better

    Read More

  • Racial Discrimination and Health Care

    1821 Words  | 4 Pages

    Steinbock, Bonnie, Alex J. London, and John D. Arras. "The Principles Approach." Ethical Issues in Modern Medicine. Contemporary Readings in Bioethics. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. 36-37. Print.

    Read More

  • Ethics In Healthcare Administration Essay

    1938 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ethics is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a set of moral principles.” This leaves a very wide open interpretation. So for the sake of this paper, ethics is integrity- the willingness to do the right thing, even when no one is looking. The definition of bioethics is similar just implies that it is ethics in regards to medicine and medical research. So combined, we will discuss why it is so important for healthcare administrators to show integrity and be familiar with crucial laws in regards to the medical environment. Bio-ethical situations in the medical field could be something as simple as not offering proper patient care based on ethnicity or because of the social status of a patient. It could be breaking patient confidentiality laws or not treating staff with respect in front of

    Read More

  • Clinical Trials: A Kantian and Utilitarian Point of View

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first article is entitled “of mice but not men: problems of randomized clinical trials,” is written by Samuel Hellman and Deborah S. Hellman discusses the issues of randomized medical testing and experiments on patients. The article describes the role of the personal physician and how the physician can take an ethical or unethical path of treating his/her patients. The relationship between the patient and physician is greatly emphasized because according to the article trust is very valuable in medicine especially when a patient’s life is at risk. A Kantian and a Utilitarian view of randomized clinical trials are debated but the authors clearly steers towards a Kantian point of view.

    Read More

  • Informed Consent Essay

    1386 Words  | 3 Pages

    Disclosure of pertinent medical facts and alternative course of treatment should not be overlooked by the physician in the decision making process. This is very important information impacting whether that patient will go along with the recommended treatment. The right to informed consent did not become a judicial issue ...

    Read More

  • Animal Research and Testing, Is it Ethical?

    2169 Words  | 5 Pages

    “It is a simple fact that many, if not most, of today’s modern medical miracles would not exist if experimental animals had not been available to medical scientists. It is equally a fact that, should we as a society decide the use of animal subjects is ethically unacceptable and therefore must be stopped, medical progress will slow to a snail’s pace. Such retardation will in itself have a huge ethical ‘price tag’ in terms of continued human and animal suffering from problems such as diabetes, cancer, degenerative cardiovascular diseases, and so forth.”

    Read More

  • Moral and Ethical Issues of Euthanasia

    1525 Words  | 4 Pages

    McGee, Glenn and Arthur L. Caplan. "Medical Ethics." Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1997: Microsoft Corporation. CD-ROM.

    Read More

More about Why Is Flowers For Algernon Ethical

Open Document