Talk:Maternity (House)

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I show this episode in my Ethics class to demonstrate a dilemma between consequentialist and kantian moral theories. When House prescribes different drugs to each baby, he's acting according to consequentialism, and others embody other systems (namely, Kant's deontology, and Aristotle's virtue ethics). --Llamabr 18:21, 29 April 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, I don't see a dilemna. What you said sounds interesting, can you elaborate? To me, what House did seems to be the most rational decision to have made to save the most number of lives, given the information known at that time. 59.92.43.92 16:44, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

I suppose that depends on what you mean by rational. What he did was best, according to a consequentialist ethical system, which suggests that an action is right as it tends to promote the greatest amount of happiness, or pleasure. But, according to a Kantian, or deontological ethical system, his decision was morally wrong, because it treated a person as a means, rather than an end unto him/herself. That is, in making his decision, he didn't take into consideration the fundamental human rights of the baby who died -- instead, he treated him/her as a means toward some end. The fact that there was an argument in his office is good evidence that there was some moral dilemma.Llamabr 00:32, 27 May 2007 (UTC)