Ethical Decisions In The Parable Of The Sadhu By Bowen Mccoy

When we are faced with ethical challenges as a group, we tend to base our decisions as what is best for the majority, rather than what decision is ethically permissible. This paper discusses the challenges of making ethical decisions as a group. This can be comprehended in the article “The Parable of the Sadhu,” which explores the challenges of individual ethics when applied to a collection of people.
Bowen McCoy's (1997) “Parable of the Sadhu,” gives readers the story of McCoy's journey hiking through Nepal. McCoy, accompanied by his anthropologist friend Stephan and several others, were on a 60-day excursion and mountain climb through the Himalayas Mountains near Nepal. Midway through their difficult trek, they encountered a Sadhu (an Indian holy man) wearing little clothing, while suffering from exhaustion and hypothermia. McCoy and the other travelers immediately assisted him by wrapping the Sadhu in warm clothing and gave him food and drink. Soon after, a few members of the group broke off to help the Sadhu down towards a near village, but they soon left him to survive on his own, in order to continue their journey. What happened to the sadhu? In his
Each member did their part, but at the same time, the group was prepared to take ultimate responsibility for a life. The Deontological Theory focusses on the concept and motive of an act. The actions of the travelers were not comprehensive, so, the end results were not satisfactory. The Utilitarian Theory analyzes the number of persons that can maximize the benefits from a situation; the ends and not the means. In this case, no one was harmed and the Sadhu was able to benefit from the traveler’s actions; yet, the end results were still not satisfactory by the maximum number of persons. These rule-based theories can only differentiate between actions that are morally permissible, and actions that are