The medical drama Awakenings (1990) is based on a real-life event. The movie focuses on Dr. Oliver Sacks’ work treating people with catatonia, a disorder marked by excessive stiffness and a lack of responsiveness to stimuli. Dr. Sacks began administering L-dopa, a medication generally used to treat Parkinson’s disease, to his patients after speculating that an underlying illness may bring on the condition.
Several parts of the movie demonstrate the use of utilitarianism theory. According to utilitarianism, it is possible to determine what is morally right or wrong by evaluating which potential future behaviors would best promote goodness in personal lives and others (Dimmock & Fisher, 2017). One such incident is when Dr. Sacks asks his superiors for permission to administer L-dopa to his patients. He contends that using the medication is in his patients’ best interests since the possible advantages outweigh the dangers. He is happy to see that the medication is improving their health and that he can assist them in regaining some quality of life. Overall, the movie Awakenings emphasizes how the utilitarian ethical theory might be advantageous when used to improve medical care. The idea may be applied to defend taking chances to advance a larger good, and it can be used to evaluate a treatment’s efficacy by considering patients’ favorable results.
The narrative of Awakenings emphasizes the significance of moral conduct in the medical industry. Throughout the movie, Dr. Sayer, the main character, exemplifies compassion, empathy, and endurance, among other characteristics. They are all indispensable components in the Kantian Virtue ethics that consider promoting such qualities as primary guidance for morally right decisions (Dimmock & Fisher, 2017). Dr. Sayer’s commitment to treating his patients shows his compassion. He is heartbroken by their plight and motivated to devise a solution to assist them. By attempting to comprehend their experiences and giving them the finest treatment possible, he demonstrates empathy for his patients.
Additionally, he perseveres in the face of obstacles like the difficulty in treating his patients and the skepticism of his colleagues. Dr. Sayer treats his patients successfully as a result of his moral behavior. He can assist them in overcoming their illness and enhancing their quality of life. These scenes underscore the importance of moral behavior in the medical industry since it can result in favorable patient outcomes.
Reference
Dimmock, M., & Fisher, A. (2017). Ethics for A-level. Open Book Publishers.