Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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The Ethics of “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”
Have you ever read or heard about an experiment and wondered whether it was ethical? In order for an experiment to be considered ethical, it must be “in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice” (“Ethical”). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”, Dr. Heidegger performs an experiment on four elderly individuals that he claims are “a little beside themselves” (Hawthorne 138) and has them drink water from the Fountain of Youth so they can become young again. He informs the participants that he is not going to drink the water and will only watch the experiment. Dr. Heidegger does not clearly explain his true purpose for completing the experiment, and because of their advanced age, the participants do not have the mental capacity to properly make a decision regarding their participation in the experiment. Furthermore, the experiment causes the participants psychological stress as they experience the transition in ages. All of these issues surrounding the experiment break the general ethical standards of an experiment (“Ethics in Research”). Dr. Heidegger’s experiment in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale is not ethical because the individuals do not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves, they were not clearly informed of the purpose for the experiment, and the experiment causes them psychological harm.
According to the article “Ethics in Research,” in order for an experiment to be ethical, it must uphold the rights of the participants in the areas of consent and harm (“Ethics in Research”). Consent implies that the participant has the right to decide whether or not they want to participate in the experiment (“Ethics in Research”)...

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"Ethical." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .
"Ethics in Research." Ethics in Research. The University of Texas Medical Branch, n.d. Web. 11. Feb. 2014 .
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment." Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tales. Ed. James McIntosh. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2013. 137-45. Print.
"Twice-Told Tales, 1837, 1851." Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. .
"Woe." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. .
"Yellow Color Meanings." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014. .

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