The Issue of Mccoy’s Moral Obligation in The Parable of The Sadhu

If I were in the shoes of McCoy I would not do anything that would risk, my life in order to help. When it comes to climbing the mountain, I will not leave the man behind if all it was doing was preventing me from going up the mountain. So, if I knew I could safely help the guy without endangering myself I would’ve done it. I’m not the bravest guy when it comes “Where is the limit of our responsibility in a situation like this?” “An ethical issue is a problem, situation, or opportunity requiring an individual, group, or organization to choose among several actions that must be evaluated as right or wrong, ethical or unethical (Book)”. "Because individuals and groups within a company may not have embraced the same set of values, ethical conflict may occur. ”

In the parable of the Sadhu each individual was part of a different cultural background, therefore they all have their unique perspective on what they define as ethical. In business situations, there is usually a task that needs to be completed and an individual or more likely a group of people has to assist one another in order to complete the task at hand. Similarly, people with different backgrounds came together to complete one goal which is to climb the mountains.

The dilemma started when they encountered a sickly Sadhu nearly freezing to death. This is where individual vs group ethics come into play. Instead of coming together and figuring out the best solution they each individually took actions they personally thought was appropriate. The question McCoy asked was where is the limit of our responsibility of an individual in a group? In a business setting there is usually a consensus met in selecting a leader in certain situations. Nobody took it upon themselves to take on the leadership role when it came to the safety of the Sadhu. Without a proper leader the group lacked proper direction in the situation. The goal should have shifted from climbing up the mountain to not leaving a sick man in the middle of a snowy mountain. Saving a life is a once in a lifetime experience as well as a climbing a big mountain in the Himalayas. Connects to a principle to an organization. If there is not a leader who everyone can agree on telling what to do. Nobody will follow through and take care of what needs to be done. Swiss, New Zealanders, Japanese, leaders need to be someone they can relate with are willing to follow. Everybody is left to their own decisions and one or the other will get left behind. A leader who is organized can accomplish both. Shows the importance of a leader in an organization.

“An ethical issue is a problem, situation, or opportunity requiring an individual, group, or organization to choose among several actions that must be evaluated as right or wrong, ethical or unethical. " I would get him back to the village by paying somebody and doing it myself. McCoy did not make a good effort in order to help the Sadhu. I’m sure the guides they hired to take him up the mountain would help take the Sadhu to the town if you paid them for the two-three-day delay that would take. It is McCoy’s trip that he is paying for so I’m sure if the guides were monetarily compensated they would be willing to make the trip to save the Sadhu. The Sadhu put himself in that situation on purpose, but if I’m an American I live by certain morals and standards. So, I do not care if he is doing some traditional practice to sacrifice yourself I am not concerned. It is about what makes me the selfish American feel good about myself. I would rather be told I’m an idiot for saving a man that tried to sacrifice himself then I would for being the guy that leaves a villager to die naked in the cold. The question I would ask myself is what is the real goal? I think when I return home to my ritzy parties that I would much rather brag about my story of saving a man’s life than making it to the top of the mountain. In a selfish way you can save the man for bragging rights. McCoy is wealthy enough to pay for another trip when the Sadhu has one life to live.

In this case McCoy is dealing with Self-interest vs. moral obligations. I think both of those can be fused together in order to satisfy both needs. There is a way to self-indulge in helping another human being. McCoy is not obligated to do anything. How many of us living in San Francisco walk or drive by people begging for spare change and food? What I do is look away and not make eye contact or lie and say I do not have any money. In that case why do I not have a moral obligation to help a hungry man who is cold in San Francisco. Realistically with the little I have I could donate a minimal amount of money or time to help the needy, but I do not I just ignore. So, if I do not do that in my home country why would I behave differently on a mountain in another country. I like to think I would help but based on the fact that I have never helped a homeless person in my city that I would not help in the Himalayas. One major difference is in a City there are countless people walking by the sick person in need. On the mountain, it is just you and other peers and the other guy in needs. What if McCoy is unconscious will the people leave him behind to? That is the question to ask. In a way, it is almost, better to help the guy because you would not want to be left behind if that was you stuck freezing on the mountain. If he leaves the Sadhu he can’t be mad if they leave him behind too.