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inhibitions against raping, looting and drug- reconcile an incisive cool-headed scientific
taking. The demoralisation of the American approach of the medical technocrat with
troops in Vietnam was an extreme case of what the compassion and love expected from
always happens to soldiers on campaign (1).” the physician by society at large. A second
dilemma arises in the physician’s psyche
The physician’s predicament when one has to balance an evidence-based
approach with an intuitive approach. Both
The physician also learns to be detached these dilemmas have no rational solution.
when faced with terminal states of patients. But Yet we forcibly eulogise the rather exclusive
detachment per se has multiple connotations. A mindset of rationality with the result that the
superficial detachment fosters a mechanical therapeutic space becomes empty of spiritual
attitude where life and death have no values. Daisuku Ikeda commented:
value after a certain point. That is why a
severely demented or terminally ill subject “The more deeply imbued in the scientific
is spontaneously classified as being in a way of thinking the doctor becomes, the
vegetative state which has no survival value. more his mind is exposed to the danger of
It is this mechanical attitude that has made regarding humans as mere physical entities.The
the healthcare delivery system a commodity inescapable dilemma of modern medical science
in the hands of corporate consumerism. is this: science itself alters the personalities of
And though the physician can be legally the doctors who must employ its knowledge
challenged for therapeutic lapses, there is a and skills and, at the same time, robs those
plethora of insurance companies to safeguard doctors of respect for life (2).”
his interests. Moreover, understanding
death, its metaphysical aspects, and its Yet in ancient India the science of healing
psychological and occult implications, have was revealed to the rRssis while in Europe,
never been pursued by contemporary medical medieval hospitals were consecrated to
disciplines. As a result, our management of Christian saints. Toynbee points out the
both passive and active euthanasia is riddled fact that the modern addressing of the
with dilemmas, while organ transplantation nurse as sister and her secular uniform
has many grey areas. have their roots in history since the time
Roman Catholic nuns began to serve God
One intriguing dilemma rises when we have to by nursing the sick. (3)

The synthetic approach

The predicament of the soldier, as well as
that of the therapist, need to be approached
from a synthetic perspective.The soldier’s
dilemma can only be solved by a programme
of global unity that would result in a sort of
World State that would not be bereft of power
but would have enough power-safeguards

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