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    Has Beckett violated his Hippocratic oath?

    Could a mod add a simple yes/no poll to this one, thanks.

    One of the cornerstones, if not the main theme, of the Hippocratic oath is the promise to "do no harm". Despite this however we've seen Beckett participate in numerous experiments that were directly aimed at harming Wraith "patients" who were the prisoners of the expedition. The first case being the injection of experimental drugs into a Wraith prisoner in "poisoning the well".

    He's also masterminded the development of a weaponised virus that, if used correctly, will rob a Wraith of not only his memories and personal mind/identity as an individual, essentially erasing the being that was from existence. In addition it will also take from the Wraith the numerous natural physical advantages he enjoys over human beings, not the least of which is immortality, leaving him in a state lesser than that which he was born naturally. He has done this becaus he believes the Wraith will be better off in their reduced state, perhaps much the same way an insane docter who was blind himself might go around intentionally blinding patients because he thinks blindness is better.

    He has done both of these things over the harsh protest of the individuals in question as well, often required them to be restrained or subdued before he could perform his "treatments".

    As you may have been able to discern I think he has broken it. Numerous times, and with a shocking degree of obliviousness or denial that he was doing it.
    65
    Yes
    43.08%
    28
    No
    50.77%
    33
    I don't know
    6.15%
    4

    #2
    Leaving aside the inevitable "artistic licence" of the writers, Beckett has always been hesitant towards harming anyone. He attempts to help a crashed Wraith Dart (Season 2), and seems to have come to the conclusion that Wraith is a disease.
    Using that reasoning, he would be violating his Hippocratic Oath if he did NOT attempt to turn the Wraith back into Humans.

    IMO, I think that Beckett has two sides to him. Side 1 always helps out, with no regard for his own safety ("Duet", "Poisioning the Well"). Side 2 is a more ruthless personality that forges ahead and 'does harm in order to heal' ("Michael", "Alliances"). Side 1 came to Atlantis, but Side 2 is becoming more 'dominant'
    Either that, or he has one messed up sense of ethics!

    Comment


      #3
      well they are at war and they arent human, and the wraith eat humans. He probably saw it as doing them a favor by turning them human. It seemed to me that after they were human he did respect that they were human and did not want further harm done to them.
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        #4
        Wraith aren't Human, he's a doctor not a vet

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          #5
          Primum non nocere is not in the Hippocratic Oath. The modern version of the Oath is this:

          I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

          I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

          I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

          I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

          I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

          I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

          I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

          I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

          I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

          If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.


          If you carefully read the oath, you'll realize that a lot of doctors violate some part of it, especially the parts about overtreatment and sensitivity toward the patient's economic problems.

          Comment


            #6
            I do not believe Dr Beckett violated his oath to do no harm. While I still think inventing the drug in the first place was a mistake because some things just cannot be changed (like being a Wraith), no matter how much you wish to or how hard you try, I am sure that Carson was really convinced this treatment was the right thing to do. He certainly saw only two possibilities at hand:
            a) killing the Wraiths or
            b) trying to convert them into something they aren't in order to let them live.

            The decision to keep them alive for the moment was not a bright one at times of war but nonetheless a decision he could much more easily get in line with his moral attitude than killing them right away.

            I can't help but think he made the wrong choice, for you can't strip away from a Wraith what essentially makes him a Wraith by altering his DNA, but Beckett simply couldn't face the radical solution Ronon and Sheppard would have preferred.

            Even if they are his enemies and regard humans as their food source, there is no way Carson would have stepped aside and let the Wraiths be killed! And I think it was very brave of him to stay with the Wraiths on the planet although he knew it was dangerous, but he couldn't just give up on them.
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              #7
              Originally posted by Giantevilhead View Post
              Primum non nocere is not in the Hippocratic Oath. The modern version of the Oath is this:

              I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

              I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

              I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

              I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

              I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

              I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

              I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

              I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

              I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

              If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.


              If you carefully read the oath, you'll realize that a lot of doctors violate some part of it, especially the parts about overtreatment and sensitivity toward the patient's economic problems.

              From wat i heard they dont even take the Oath now.. apparently
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                #8
                A couple of critical points have already been raised that I’d like to get into: first, that “do no harm” doesn’t actually appear in the Hippocratic Oath, and second, that Beckett isn’t a veterinarian.

                I’d say that the Oath applies to doctor-patient relationships. Beckett is a skilled surgeon, and he certainly puts great effort into treating the patients he gets with all his capabilities, never mind their species.

                But can the Wraith he’s done research on even be considered patients?

                Beckett is more than a medical doctor; he’s also a scientist, a genetic researcher. He was the one who identified the ATA gene, and he immediately demonstrated a proficiency at genetic manipulation and gene therapy techniques upon arriving in Atlantis. These are not things a typical doctor would be involved in or knowledgeable of. Nobody* complains about medical researchers using lab animals as test subjects for new, life saving treatments. That sort of research has the goal of saving human life, and so does Beckett’s work.

                In short, no he’s not violating the Hippocratic Oath. It’s either irrelevant in those situations, as he’s functioning like a researcher rather than a medical doctor, or he’s fulfilling it by using all his abilities to cure what he sees to be a disease. Sometimes a cure has to be drastic. But if the only other option is to allow death, it’s what a doctor is most inclined to do. If Beckett’s not working to give the Wraith a future as something other that vicious, murderous monsters, then he has to work on a way to wipe them out entirely. It’s been laid out that simply.



                *Certain touchy-feely types do, but they’re not significant.


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                Comment


                  #9
                  The Hippocratic Oath is like the Dungeon Master's Guide from Dungeons and Dragons. It's not actually an unbreakable set of rules. They're more like guidelines but it's really up to the Dungeon Master/Doctor to decide how to practice their craft.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Hatcheter View Post
                    Beckett is more than a medical doctor; he’s also a scientist, a genetic researcher. He was the one who identified the ATA gene, and he immediately demonstrated a proficiency at genetic manipulation and gene therapy techniques upon arriving in Atlantis. These are not things a typical doctor would be involved in or knowledgeable of. Nobody* complains about medical researchers using lab animals as test subjects for new, life saving treatments. That sort of research has the goal of saving human life, and so does Beckett’s work.
                    I don't really know if Beckett has violated his Oath or not, but at this point I have to ask So What?

                    Since when did it become okay to conduct medical experiments on sentient, free-thinking, intelligent lifeforms? The Wraith aren't rats, or bunnies, or even chimps (well maybe they actually are like chimps). They talk, they think, they act. They don't want to be turned into neutered Wraith, shallow humans with no memories of their past life. And as the producers and writers have been so kind to show so far this season (and earlier as well) the Wraith are not necessarily evil. They are trying to survive. Like humanity. So their food source is humans-fine. So you are at war with the Wraith-fine. But let's not try and pass off what Beckett is trying to do or has done as some great noble act for the benefit of humanity and the Wraith. It's not. It's dangerous, morally ambiguous at best, and certainly would be nothing to write home about.

                    In short, no he’s not violating the Hippocratic Oath. It’s either irrelevant in those situations, as he’s functioning like a researcher rather than a medical doctor, or he’s fulfilling it by using all his abilities to cure what he sees to be a disease. Sometimes a cure has to be drastic. But if the only other option is to allow death, it’s what a doctor is most inclined to do. If Beckett’s not working to give the Wraith a future as something other that vicious, murderous monsters, then he has to work on a way to wipe them out entirely. It’s been laid out that simply.
                    I have always thought that this retrovirus plotline was incredibly stupid. Things like this is why. The idea that you are trying to cure the basic fundamental nature of what makes a species what it is, that you can actually do that so flippantly or that you think you know better is the height of arrogance. It's not a cure, it's a biological weapon. And although they are created all the time, I am not sure if doctors are supposed to be in the business of creating biological weapons. Because that is all it is. And while it may be distasteful, sometimes things like biological weapons are necessary in war if you want to survive. But I hate this idea that the Atlanteans are somehow doing this for the Wraiths' benefit, that they are simply correcting a mistake and they know what's best for an entire species. No. They just want to live like the Wraith want to live.

                    Just kill the damn Wraith. It would be the more humane, honorable, and noble thing to do. Stop frakking around with their damn genetic code. Plus everytime I think of the plot it reminds me of the Nazis (this is not good). It's not like they know what the Hell they are doing anyway.
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                      #11
                      I agree with Orion's Star. Just because they are not human doesnt mean you can conduct horrible experiments. In the UK, scientific experiments, even on lower vertebrates (i.e. fish) has very strict regulation. Furthermore, lets not forget that in the past, some horrible experiments have been carried out on humans because they were considered to be of lesser status that others due to race, religion or certain acts. So because we perceive somebody, or something, as being different from us does not justify cruel experiments.

                      Nevertheless, I wouldnt go as far as to say that the Wraith are not evil. They hunt people for pleasure and sport, and eradicate species that they can't feed on. They clearly see us as cattle!

                      However, I do agree on the the whole retro-virus plotline being a bit crap! I hope it will not be a major plot! Anyway, so far we have seen that nukes are a far more effective "cure" for the wraith

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Yes.

                        Sorry, Carson is one of my favourite Atlantis characters since day one, and it's definitely not just a problem with him - all of the Atlantis characters seem to have a sketchy moral stand at best - but he definitely crossed the lines, and several times.
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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Giantevilhead
                          Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.
                          On this basis: yes.

                          The retro-virus is a biological weapon but I do think Beckett has convinced himself on some level that he was creating a cure. However, as Michael notes in Misbegotten, what the Wraith are is not a disease to be cured. I also think Beckett has an idealised image that once the Wraiths are humans, they will be treated as humans and go on to lead productive lives which as Misbegotten demonstrates, because of the threat of reversion, that can never be the case. They'll always be distrusted and ultimately, they'll be killed one way or another. I also think Beckett has paid for his part in the retro-virus somewhat; he was tortured by Michael.
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                            #14
                            I also agree with Orionstar and Shaddowtolight.


                            Dr Beckett is my favorite character out of Both Stargate series, but the one problem I have with Atlantis is the characters have collectively taken action that puts them in the wrong. Dr B himself jokes in Hide and Seek that his experimental gene therapy is "legal in the Pegasus Galaxy" and the events of "Michael" leave an uneasy feeling. SG1 may make mistakes like anyone else, but I don't recall them choosing to deliberately do something on this kind of scale. (I coud be wrong.) Choosing to erase another species, is a form of genocide.


                            Contains Spoilers for SGA Season 2 "Michael"

                            Spoiler:
                            As to Dr B himself, he at least has shown some remorse for the consequences of Michael, and regreted what he has been doing. Has he violated the Hippocratic Oath? I think so, yes. Specifically when Sergant Whatist is killed. - Paul McGillion does a good job of showing that Carson regrets the consiquences of his actions when everyone else is, "they are wraith so what, we are at war"" Especially after a human life has been lost due to the 'experiment'
                            Converting a human body into energy and sending it millions of light years through a wormhole. Bloody insanity!
                            Come on, how often do you get the chance to go to an alien planet?

                            I was a'ready on an alien planet!

                            - Poisoning the Well, Atlantis Season 1.

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                              #15
                              Well, lets hope they will give it up for now. I suppose it is always nice to have around should someone else get infected with Wraith DNA. That might be better use than just as an offensive weapon....

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