Extreme Measures Paper
The 1996 movie, Extreme Measures, directed by John Bailey dealt with many
scientific and ethical issues such as physician assisted suicide, making decisions
regarding saving one life over another, and most importantly using humans as test
subjects in scientific research without their consent. Using humans in research
without consent is both a scientific and ethical issue because informed consent is a
law that must be followed in research. It is also generally accepted as unethical to
perform tests on human subjects without their consent in today’s society, although
there are some ethicists that would have different opinions about whether or not
this act was moral or not.
Immanuel Kant was a Deontological ethicist, meaning that he believed that
humans should never be used as a means to an end. In this case, he would be
strongly against the idea of humans being used as test subjects. In the movie, the
human test subjects were being used as a means to an end, because Dr. Myrick was
attempting to use them to learn how to cure paralyzed patients. Guy Luthan
represented Kant’s views because he was against Myrick’s plan even though he
knew how much good it could do for future generations. At the end of the movie
when Dr. Myrick is explaining himself to Guy, trying to persuade him to join their
crusade, Guy explains that he agrees that this could benefit people but that because
the subjects were not given a choice, it was unethical and he was not interested. Dr.
Myrick calls the subjects heroes, but Guy explains that they did not choose to be
heroes. They were not given a choice. Instead, Dr. Myrick chose for them, which is
unacceptable. Although Kant would not have supported this practice, other ethics
scholars would have agreed with Dr. Myrick’s plan
Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mills were two scholars that are known for
founding the ethical theory of utilitarianism. This theory is based on the idea that
any act can be justified as long as the consequences are good. In the case of Dr.
Myrick’s plan to cure paralyzed patients, Bentham and Mills would agree that using
human test subjects would be a justifiable moral act as long as a cure is found.
Because more people would be happy for a longer period of time (all of those cured
of their paralysis) than unhappy (those used as test subjects), this project is a moral
act in their opinions. In the movie, Dr. Myrick and all those helping him portrayed a
perfect representation of Bentham and Mill’s ethical theory. They all believed that
they were doing right in the eyes of science because the ends would justify the
means.
Aristotle was a strong supporter of the theory of virtue ethics. The central
idea of virtue ethics is that all humans are born relatively neutral, but through
practice they develop either virtues or vices. Virtues are a middle ground between
two extreme vices. The cardinal virtues are justice, courage, temperance, and
practical wisdom. For example, courage is a virtue between the vices of cowardice
(too little) and foolhardiness (too much) (Virtue Ethics, 125). These moral and
intellectual virtue ethics are learned through teachers and repetition (Virtue Ethics,
125). Aristotle’s theory of virtue ethics was represented in the movie by two
characters in particular. Jodie, a nurse at the hospital where Guy worked, was
involved in the Triphase project due to guilt over causing the paralysis of her
brother. Although she knew the project was morally wrong, she was willing to
participate because she knew that it could do good in the end. She showed her
virtue when she rescued Guy from the Triphase building, despite her allegiance to
the project. She knew that she could get into trouble for her treachery but she saved
him any way because she knew that it was the right thing to do. In this, she showed
courage. Guy is the other example of a character that showed courage throughout
the movie. He was determined to find answers about his patient despite
experiencing constant resistance. He continued to fight for the homeless men being
tested by Triphase even though he was being threatened and almost being killed.
Guy also showed his aptitude for justice, as he fought against Dr. Myrick. Some of his
final words to Myrick were that he hoped Myrick went to jail for the rest of his life
(Extreme Measures, 1996).
This movie showed many examples of the different ethical theories we have
learned about thus far. Each character had different reasons behind their beliefs and
acted in ways that represented their ethical principles. Guy represented both virtue
ethics and deontological ethics, which are two ethical theories that are most
represented in today’s society. Courage, wisdom, and justice are still considered to
be traits that people strive for. Also, today people generally believe that in order for
an act to be moral, both the act and the consequences must be moral. Dr. Myrick and
his team at Triphase were obviously utilitarian thinkers. They believed that even
though their project was against the law and harmful, that it was justified because of
the good it could do for the world.
Citations
Extreme Measures. Dir. John Bailey. Castle Rock Entertainment, 1996. DVD.
MacKinnon, Barbara. "Kant's Moral Theory." Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues.
7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1998. Print.
MacKinnon, Barbara. "Virtue Ethics." Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues. 7th ed.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1998. Print.
MacKinnon, Barbara. "Utilitarianism." Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues. 7th
ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1998. Print.