Case Study Ethic (1)

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Dec 6, 2023

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E. Morgan B. Ortiz I. Hernandez J. Masel Dr. Anna Pou Case Study 1. Utilitarianism and Kantian ethics represent two distinct philosophical perspectives that often yield differing judgements when applied to real world moral dilemmas. The case of Dr. Anna Pou, who faced controversy in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, exemplifies the contrasting viewpoints of these ethical frameworks. Utilitarianism, a consequential theory that prioritizes the greatest good for the greatest number, would likely defend Dr. Anna Pou’s actions during the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This raises the ethical question, what is good and who is to decide if an action is good or bad? In the video Introduction to Utilitarianism , the class learned how the principle of utility is that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness (Youtube video, 6:30). This puts into perspective what is good and what is bad. The principles of utilitarianism do not necessarily define what is right and what is wrong but gives us a proportion of what one should do or should not do (Youtube video, 6:45). Dr. Pou, a physician at a New Orleans hospital during the hurricane, was accused of administering lethal doses of medication to critically ill patients in an attempt to alleviate their suffering amidst the absence of proper medical resources. From a utilitarian perspective, her decision could be justified as an act intended to minimize overall pain and suffering. She did not commit murders that day, because in her mind, Dr. Pou essentially palliatively cared for her patients in those days following Hurricane Katrina by removing their pain and ending their suffering. The opposite of pain is pleasure, which equates to happiness. Happiness is the foundation by which Utilitarianism is the foundation of (Bailey, pg. 74). By ending the lives of

those who were already unlikely to survive, she potentially freed up resources and medical attention for patients with better chances of recovery, ultimately maximizing the net benefit for the larger population. This leads to believing Dr. Pou had the greater good in mind of the patients at Memorial Hospital as a Utilitarian would. Not only did Memorial Hospital have the staff and were running low on resources to help patients, Dr. Pou felt as if there was no other alternative option. She felt she had to end the pain and suffering. Over all Dr. Pou’s intent was the collective well being of her patients, preventing unnecessary suffering, and maximizing the best of the situation that she could do given the circumstances. Her intent was honest with the tendency to do good by ending the lives of the patients without them having to wait until help came and potentially end up dying a long, slow, and painful death. These actions are what a utilitarian would do if they were in her shoes. 2. On some level, evaluating Dr. Pou’s actions through Kant’s lens seems rather simple. To be a bit reductive, it is a philosophy of absolutes. In any given situation, a rational being, using common human reason, is able to tell what is good and what is evil. When the man with the gun comes to my house looking for my friend, I have to tell him that he’s in the kitchen. Even in a situation as complex as what occurred at Memorial Medical Center in the summer of 2005, much of the context can be dismissed as obfuscatory, and a judgment rendered. “A good will is good … simply by virtue of the volition.” The categorical imperative, to the Kantian, ascribes moral worth to actions according to specific maxims being applied universally. If Dr. Pou’s actions were to be universally applied, administering likely lethal levels of opiates and sedatives to vast amounts of rapidly triaged sick patients would have to be considered appropriate. Split-second decisions notwithstanding, as Kant writes, “Now we can see at once

that a system of nature of which it should be a law to destroy life by means of the very feeling whose vocation it is to impel to the improvement of life would contradict itself…” While this example was in reference to suicide, the principle is similar—especially considering the role of a doctor. Whatever Dr. Pou’s intent, her methods surely hastened the demise of some of the patients in her charge—a demise that may have come sooner rather than later for some had they simply been left to wither on their own. In other words, the end results could have been reached by other means. “An action done from duty derives its moral worth … from the maxim by which it is determined.” So what was Dr. Pou’s duty? I believe that Kant would argue that it was to care for every patient in a way that could be applied to every other patient. Speculation over the utility of differing levels of care would be a hypothetical imperative, and therefore not worth considering. Faced with long odds or not, Dr. Pou failed to act in a universally applicable fashion. One major view of Kant’s philosophy is that good in itself doesn't exist, only good will does. “Good will is not good because of its consequences, but by the virtue of volition.” A main principle in Kant’s deontology is that he says to “never use a person as a mere means,” which means to not use a person for your own intention without their consent and knowledge of the intention. 3. When considering a judgment of Dr. Pou, we generally agree that it is quite difficult to divorce her decisions from the extreme nature of the circumstances in which they were made. From within a medical center housing multiple for-profit entities, amidst a bona fide natural disaster, following a botched response on local and federal levels, and with unfounded rumors of genuine barbarism swirling around them, the hospital staff were simply overwhelmed. Isolated

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