Ethics of Emergencies - 987 Words

Ethics of Emergencies â€Å"The Ethics of Emergencies† explains Ayn Rand’s radical and unique view of altruism. She believes that there are 4 consequences of altruism, all of which are negative. These, simply put, are lack of self-esteem, lack of respect for others, a pessimistic view of life, and an indifference to ethics. She says that altruism hinders acts of true benevolence, and instead people act out of an obligation to others that has been internalized over time. Rand then argues that one should only volunteer to help strangers in emergency situations, and even then, only when the risk to one’s own life is less than the risk to the stranger’s. Rand advocates action in such emergencies because of the high value of human life. But Rand†¦show more content†¦While I disagree with Rand’s ethics, I think she made an excellent observation concerning human motives in making a â€Å"sacrifice.† The best example is her analysis of why a husband would risk his life to save his wife. Rand says that the true reason the man risks his life for a loved one is because life without that loved one would be too difficult. I agree with her, but in reality, it is a much more emotional and a less cognitive response. The decision to aid the loved one is not made in the way that most rational decisions are constructed. I believe the decision is made in the following way. An individual experiences enjoyable feelings while considering or imagining saving a loved one. While this feeling may fundamentally happen because saving the loved one makes the individual happier than letting the loved one die, I believe the individual does not experience it in this manner. The individual believe the good feeling they experience is their moral conscience. This is a defense mechanism the mind uses to hide the true motive of the behavior and keep the individual ignorant of the selfish reason for â€Å"sacrificing† themselves. While I fo und myself experiencing feelings of frustration and disgust while reading Rand’s essay, I afterwards decided that it was time well spent. While it did not express views that I share, it wasShow MoreRelatedEmt Code Of Ethics Adopted By The National Association Of Emergency Medical Technicians1611 Words   |  7 PagesIn accordance with the EMT Code of Ethics adopted by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, EMTs pledge â€Å"to conserve life, alleviate suffering, promote health, do no harm, and encourage the quality and equal availability of emergency medical care†. Through the medical education for an EMT license, a student learns how to appropriately treat and care for a medical or traumatic emergency in order to be able to successfully follow this system. 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