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Dr.Heidegger Experiment
Dr.Heidegger Experiment
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The Ethics of “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”
Have you ever read or heard about an experiment and wondered whether it was ethical? In order for an experiment to be considered ethical, it must be “in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice” (“Ethical”). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”, Dr. Heidegger performs an experiment on four elderly individuals that he claims are “a little beside themselves” (Hawthorne 138) and has them drink water from the Fountain of Youth so they can become young again. He informs the participants that he is not going to drink the water and will only watch the experiment. Dr. Heidegger does not clearly explain his true purpose for completing the experiment, and because of their advanced age, the participants do not have the mental capacity to properly make a decision regarding their participation in the experiment. Furthermore, the experiment causes the participants psychological stress as they experience the transition in ages. All of these issues surrounding the experiment break the general ethical standards of an experiment (“Ethics in Research”). Dr. Heidegger’s experiment in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale is not ethical because the individuals do not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves, they were not clearly informed of the purpose for the experiment, and the experiment causes them psychological harm.
According to the article “Ethics in Research,” in order for an experiment to be ethical, it must uphold the rights of the participants in the areas of consent and harm (“Ethics in Research”). Consent implies that the participant has the right to decide whether or not they want to participate in the experiment (“Ethics in Research”)...
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"Ethical." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .
"Ethics in Research." Ethics in Research. The University of Texas Medical Branch, n.d. Web. 11. Feb. 2014 .
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment." Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tales. Ed. James McIntosh. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2013. 137-45. Print.
"Twice-Told Tales, 1837, 1851." Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. .
"Woe." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. .
"Yellow Color Meanings." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014. .
Lathrop, G. P., ed. "Hawthorne, Nathaniel." The Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature. Binghamton, New York: Vail-Ballou, 1962. 439-40. Print.
Siegler, M., and W. Winslade. "Ethics in Medicine." Clinical Ethics. By A. R. Jonsen. 7th ed. N.p.:
Through out the elements of Gothic Romanticism, the greatest involves the supernatural and mysterious events. This leaves the reader wondering whether such scenes actually did in fact occur or if the scene was a delusion created by the character’s subconscious desires and fears. Thus such uncertainty leads to the development of mystery and doubt within the reader. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” utilize a common aspect of involving the impact of a single illusion or dream has upon the characters overall outlook; in “Young Goodman Brown” he develops this theme through the forest scene with the townspeople and how this leads to Brown’s utter loss in faith, while in “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”, he is able to create an air of uncertainty due to the fact that he portrays the narrator as false and leaves the reader to wonder if the whole magic of the Fountain of Youth really does exist.
During the process of research, professionals collect data or identifiable private information through intervention or interaction. While this is a vital part of the scientific and medical fields, every precaution must be taken by researchers to protect the participants' rights. Ethics, outlined by the Belmont report; requirements, described by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); and regulations, laid out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are verified by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). This procedure assures that all human rights are safeguarded during the entire research process.
“Nathaniel Hawthorne.” The Norton Anthology: American Literature, edited by Baym et al. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1995.
Denise Dudzinski, PhD, MTS, Helene Starks, PhD, MPH, Nicole White, MD, MA (2009) ETHICS IN MEDICINE. Retrieved from: http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pad.html
Pearson, Norman Holmes. Introduction. The Complete Novels and Selected Tales of Nathaniel Hawthorne. By Pearson. New York: Random House, 1937. vii-xv.
Fogle, Richard Harter. "Hawthorne's fiction: The Light and the Dark." Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Study of Short Fiction. Ed. Nancy Bunge. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. 133-35
In his short story "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", Nathaniel Hawthorne makes a point to grant all of the characters varying human vices to try and instill in the reader a lesson about learning from their mistakes. When the reader is first introduced to Dr. Heidegger and his guests, the author gives some background on all of the characters. It becomes clear that Mr. Medbourne is known for his love of money, Widow Wycherly for her pride, Colonel Killigrew for lusting after sinful pleasures, and Mr. Gascoigne for his abuse of power and hypocrisy. From what is shown, all of the characters possess the trait of greed. When given the chance to return to their youth, they repeat the same mistakes.
The Second Time Around. " The Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 19 (Spring 1993): 18-21. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. A.
In the United States, the basis for ethical protection for human research subjects in clinical research trials are outlined by the Belmont Report developed in the late 1970’s. This document, published by the Nation Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, highlights three important basic principles that are to be considered when any clinical trial will involve human research subjects. They are; respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. (Chadwick & Gunn, 2004)
Steinbock, Bonnie, Alex J. London, and John D. Arras. "The Principles Approach." Ethical Issues in Modern Medicine. Contemporary Readings in Bioethics. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. 36-37. Print.
Freedman B. Equipoise and the ethics of clinical research. N Engl J Med. 1987; 317(3): 141-145
Unethical experiments have occurred long before people considered it was wrong. The protagonist of the practice of human experimentation justify their views on the basis that such experiments yield results for the good of society that are unprocurable by other methods or means of study ( Vollmann 1448 ).The reasons for the experiments were to understand, prevent, and treat disease, and often there is not a substitute for a human subject. This is true for study of illnesses such as depression, delusional states that manifest themselves partly by altering human subjectivity, and impairing cognitive functioning. Concluding, some experiments have the tendency to destroy the lives of the humans that have been experimented on.
McGee, Glenn and Arthur L. Caplan. "Medical Ethics." Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1997: Microsoft Corporation. CD-ROM.