Entre los principios y los fines. Ética y estética en el episodio El Tirano de la serie House

Abstract

This article delves into the events narrated in the fourth episode of the sixth season of House M.D. In it, Dr. Chase finds himself in the dilemma of treating an African dictator. On the one hand, the Hippocratic oath to which he is bound forces him to heal his patient, however, his individual morale pushes him to make a fatal decision. And it is that, in that lies the ethical peculiarity of this narrative, in the clash of attitudes that codify what is considered «duty». Between principles and ends, it’s the territory in which Chase is lost. A no man’s land that torments the medical professional, in general, and Dr. Chase in particular. Cinematic analysis will elucidate the ethical (themes) and aesthetic keys (narrative strategies) of this work. The demiurge that controls the storytelling happenings decides that the doctor takes the side of the ends, even if that does not mean that it is the right thing to do. Without pretending to be an example of what should be done in real life, this article, with the study of it, invites to explore the limits of medical deontology.