Preview

Nazi Prisoner Doctors

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
467 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Nazi Prisoner Doctors
Nazi Prisoner Doctors
In my opinion, if asked, Aristotle would have worked in the prison camp hospital. Aristotle’s position on ethic is to find a balance of good and what may not be good. “Virtuous activities are those that avoid the two extremes of excess and deficiency. For example if you fear too much, you become cowardly; if you fear too little, you become rash. The mean is courage (Aristotle, p. 410).
In the hospital the mean between not helping anyone and helping no one would be to help the ones you can. Even if at times you were required to kill some for the greater good I think that would still be the mean.
In Kant’s “Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals” it seems that he is saying for an action to be moral it must be good all by itself. If the action is good as a means to something else then it is not necessarily good. In this respect I think Kant wouldn’t work in the prison hospital. Helping a fellow prisoner is good, but it is a means to happiness from the special favors that are being offered. On the other hand if he were to do it for special favors it would be the means to something else and inherently not good. John Stuart Mill says “The utilitarian doctrine is that happiness is desirable, and the only thing desirable, as an end; all other things being desirable as a means to that end” (Mill, p.425).
I think what he is saying that the things we desire such as a new car or a house with the white picket fence are a means to become happy. I think Mill, if offered special favors in return, would help the prisoners. Helping them is a means to special favors which is a means to being happy.
If I was put in the situation of the Nazi prisoner doctors I would use my skills to help the fellow prisoners, however I would not accept more or better food or anything else that the other prisoners would not receive because in accordance with “Article III” of the United States Military Code of Conduct, “If I am captured I will continue to resist by all



References: Aristotle (1915-2008). “Nicomachean Ethics.” Exploring philosophy: an introductory anthology (4th ed., pp. 410-415). New York: Oxford University Press. Kant, I. (1990). “Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals.” Exploring philosophy: an introductory anthology (4th ed., pp. 415-420). New York: Oxford University Press. Mill, J. S. (1863). “Utilitarianism.” Exploring philosophy: an introductory anthology (4th ed., pp. 420-427). New York: Oxford University Press.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Essay On Virtue Ethics

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Aristotle was one of the founders of the theory of virtue. He thought that a virtuous person is someone who has ideal character traits.…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Doctors In The Holocaust

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The medical experiments can be divided into three categories: 1 - facilitating the survival of German military personnel, 2 - the testing of pharmaceuticals, and 3 - the advancement of the racial tenets of the Nazi worldview (Museum, Nazi Medical Experiments).…

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle vs Platonist

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Cited: "Aristotelian Ethics." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Inc, 2 Nov. 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. .…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle believes that ethics originate from real world experiences, that there is not a set of rules to apply to life that will mold us into ethical beings, but rather the “individual exists in relationship with others” (Brannigan, 2005:61). Thus, ethics is based upon how the individuals relate to each other and the cultivation of good character. How do we cultivate good character? Aristotle states we must fulfill our human nature. He tells us that all things existing in nature have their own specific end purpose, which he refers to as telos (Greek term for specific end). For example, an apple seed’s telos would be to grow into an apple tree and produce apples. Aristotle tells us that only humans are capable of using logos as a form of thought, and that all humans are, by nature, rational animals. Therefore, the human’s end purpose is to “fulfill our human nature as rational animals by properly exercising our reason” and he also asserts that, “only in this way can we be genuinely happy” (Brannigan, 2005:62).…

    • 1882 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cited: "Aristotle 's Nicomachean Ethics." Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues. Trans. W. D. Ross. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. 124-77. Print. Books I-BookX.…

    • 1526 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rn John Case Study

    • 171 Words
    • 1 Page

    Ethics, law and morals are closely intertwined and guide our behaviour as to what we regard as right and wrong. Looking at the case study RN John had clearly broken the law due to stealing used equipment which is against hospital policies. From a moral perspective John thought he was doing the right thing, but stealing was evidently the wrong decision. He breached the concept of non-maleficence, which is “do not harm”, due to donating used equipment to a third world charity. The used dressing forceps and scissors may not have been properly sterilised and may still be contaminated. Therefore, by sending them to charity for reuse they may cause people to encounter infections. The writer however believes that even though John may have gone against…

    • 171 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Kant's Philosophy

    • 2164 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Kelechi, I &E. (2005). The Implications of Kant’s Conception of the Absolute Good Will for some Current Ethica Issues like Suicide, War, Abortion, Violence, Corruption and Terrorism. pp. 5. Data Retrieved from http://www.frasouzu.com/Issues%20and%20Papers/Iwuagwu%20Emmanuel%20Kelechi%20on%20The%20implications%20of%20Kants%20Conception%20of%20Absolute%20Good%20Will.pdf…

    • 2164 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle Virtue Analysis

    • 1765 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In this paper, I will examine Aristotle's understanding of virtue and his explanation of virtuous actions as presented in Nicomachean Ethics. In Book II of the work, Aristotle distinguishes between moral virtues, which are learned through habit and practice, and intellectual virtues, which are learned through instruction. However, it is not until later in Book II that Aristotle actually defines virtue. He opens Chapter 5 with, "Next we must consider what virtue is" (35) and at its end asserts that virtue is a state of character. Therefore, the conclusion of the whole argument is: Virtue is a state of character.…

    • 1765 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nichomachean Ethics

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Happiness can be the chief good of morality. According to Aristotle and John Stuart Mill, happiness is the end or chief good of morality. Aristotle argues that happiness is the chief good of morality because everything a person will do leads to being happy. Every action performed by a person is aimed toward a good happiness. In Aristotle’s “Nichomachean Ethics” Aristotle argues that man must complete his job or duty in order to reach happiness.…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Now that we understand how, exactly, Mill is denoting “happiness”, let us return to the conclusion we are analyzing, found on page 95. Using this definition of happiness from the first page, Mill now asserts: “the utilitarian doctrine is that happiness is desirable, and the only thing desirable, as an end; all other things being only desirable as means to that end.” We see his premises for this claim in the two paragraphs following this…

    • 544 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    [ 2 ]. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 2nd Ed., Trans. by Terence Irwin (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1999) 1169b.…

    • 2072 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In his best known work on ethics which is titled “Nicomachean Ethics”, Aristotle discusses his ideas on eternal question of how men should live to be the most successful and contented with what they have. In particular, Aristotle explains his concepts on real happiness, virtue, deliberation, justice, and friendship which are the most important variables of civic relations.…

    • 2276 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle’s most famous book of moral philosophy is the N - - - - - - - - - - E - - - - -…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Nichomacean Ethics

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Nicomachean Ethics ; this ten book account of Aristotle’s view on ethics stands as on of the best works of philosophy because it took a deep look into ethics pointing out what it takes for humans to reach happiness in their lifetime and how best a person can be virtuous. It also addresses the other views on happiness an attempts to explain human’s flawed conception of what happiness is. He believes happiness is not just one state of being but it is something we toil on throughout our lives by doing good and living virtuously. A student of Socrates Aristotle believed and avidly practiced philosophy that asked the question about how man should live a fulfilled life. One main factor is always understanding, being knowledgeable is what separates us as humans and hence humans must use reason in accomplishing anything. For instance moral virtue and ethics as pointed out by him humans can learn to be ethically and morally good by learning from what society tell them is good. In the Nicimachean ethics Aristotle sought to make man understand how to go about life, practicing the right morals and ethics to achieve the ultimate good that is happiness.…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Paper

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Plato and Aristotle each convey important points throughout their writings pertaining to the origin of ethics. Plato repetitively emphasizes his understanding of truth and reason, while Aristotle explains the significance of virtue and habituation. Plato’s spiritual explanation of ethics addresses the importance of goodness in the world and what it means to be a good person even when immoral people may prosper. Plato continues to emphasize the higher power inside of us known as our soul, and how our soul alone is greater than the power of our physical body. In comparison to Plato’s teachings, Aristotle’s practical approach to ethics outlined the concepts of habituation and virtue. Aristotle points out the impossibility of altering nature to behave differently using habituation to change its course. Aristotle touches on the idea of completion through habituation. Aside from habituation, Aristotle explains the two types of virtue, intellectual and character. Intellectual virtue revolves around ones experiences in life as a groundwork for teaching, while Character virtue is described as an outcome of habituation.…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays