William Rodzewich

October 5, 2014
EID: wgr326
he lect!re b" #ro$e%%or William &' Wi(%lade wa% $oc!%ed o( the ethical com)licatio(%
a%%ociated with certai( medical treatme(t% a(d )roced!re%, mo%t (otabl" electroco(*!l%i*e
thera)", or E+' hi% tech(i,!e ha% bee( !%ed b" *ario!% )%"chologi%t% a(d (e!ro%cie(ti%t% to a
great e-te(t e*er %i(ce it% medical $!(ctio( wa% di%co*ered i( 1.3/' E+, al%o 0(ow( a% %hoc0
thera)", i% a )roced!re i( which electricit" i% deli*ered to a )atie(t i( order to i(d!ce %eiz!re%,
which ca( ha*e %ig(i$ica(t a(d )o%iti*e e$$ect% o( certai( me(tal ill(e%%e% %!ch a% de)re%%io( a(d
%chizo)hre(ia' While there are (!mero!% medical be(e$it% to a))l"i(g E+ to )%"chiatricall" ill
%!b1ect%, there are a $ew ad*er%e e$$ect% o$ thi% tech(i,!e' he mo%t )re*ale(t i% ra(dom am(e%ia,
ca!%i(g the )atie(t to mome(taril" $orget rece(t e*e(t% a(d there$ore e(ter a %tate o$ co($!%io('
2owe*er, the more )re%%i(g ethical ,!e%tio( )re%e(ted b" #ro$e%%or Wi(%lade wa% the
methodolog" o$ the e-)erime(t% them%el*e%' 3or the $ir%t e-)erime(t% i(to E+, the re%earcher%
mo*ed $rom )ig% to me(tall" ill h!ma(% who were !%!all" ta0e( agai(%t their will a(d $orced to
)artici)ate i( the%e e-)erime(t%' #ro$e%%or Wi(%lade comme(t% o( the%e re)ort% a(d e-)lai(% that
thi% t")e o$ e-)erime(tatio( i% !(ethical i( the %e(%e that the re%earcher% were co(%cio!%l"
$orci(g me(tall" de$icie(t )atie(t% to %omethi(g that the" did (ot wa(t to do4 he me(tio(ed a
ca%e where o(e o$ the %!b1ect% )rote%ted a$ter o(e ro!(d o$ te%ti(g, %a"i(g that thi% wa% 5goi(g to
0ill 6him7'8 I(tere%ti(gl", the )ro$e%%or the( tal0% abo!t how the%e e-)erime(t% co!ld be
)ercei*ed a% ethical beca!%e what the" di%co*ered wa% a( o*erall (et gai( i( 0(owledge' What
the%e re%earcher% $o!(d i% %till i( )ractice toda" a(d it ha% bee( !%ed i( co!(tle%% )atie(t% with
great %!cce%% i( c!ri(g certai( )%"chiatric di%order%' he ethical a%)ect i( the%e t")e%
e-)erime(t% ha% alwa"% bee( a %o!rce o$ debate amo(g medical )ro$e%%io(al% a(d %cholar%'
I $o!(d thi% lect!re )artic!larl" i(tere%ti(g i( that the )ro$e%%or e-)lored both %ide% o$ the
arg!me(t e,!all", citi(g m!lti)le rea%o(% to !%e a(d to (ot !%e electroco(*!l%i*e thera)" o(
me(tall" ill )atie(t%' I )artici)ated i( )hilo%o)h" a(d )olic" debate i( high %chool %o the whole
co(*er%atio( o( ethic% a(d moralit" greatl" i(tere%ted me' he )ro$e%%or ob*io!%l" wa% *er"
0(owledgeable (ot o(l" o( the %!b1ect o$ E+ b!t al%o the to)ic o$ moralit" a% well' 2i%
arg!me(t% $or both %ide% were clear, co(ci%e, a(d co(*i(ci(g to the )oi(t where I co!ld ea%il"
!(der%ta(d both o$ hi% )oi(t% o$ *iew a(d ma0e deci%io(% ba%ed o( tho%e *iew)oi(t%' O( the
$oc!% o( the act!al treatme(t it%el$, I $!ll" %!))ort thi% 0i(d o$ tech(i,!e a% it ha% great medical
be(e$it% with relati*el" $ew a(d mi(or (egati*e e$$ect%' I belie*e i( the e(d 1!%ti$"i(g the mea(%
with certai( ca*eat%, a(d I belie*e that thi% t")e o$ thera)" %ati%$ie% m" ethical *iew)oi(t'
2owe*er, the e-)erime(tal methodolog" behi(d earl" trial% wal0% the li(e betwee( ethical a(d
!(ethical4 I !(der%ta(d that what the re%earcher% were tr"i(g to accom)li%h wa% $or the greater
good o$ h!ma(it" b!t the $act that the" $orced other h!ma(% to %!bmit to their )ractice% i%
barbaric i( (at!re a(d a di$$ere(t co!r%e o$ actio( %ho!ld ha*e bee( ta0e(' O*erall, the lect!re b"
#ro$e%%or William &' Wi(%lade o( the to)ic o$ ethic% i( the medical $ield wa% e-tremel" e(gagi(g
(ot o(l" $rom a( academic %ta(d)oi(t b!t $rom a )er%o(al %ta(d)oi(t a% well'