Assignment for Class 5

First, we need to understand the main point of the reading. The parable of the Sadhu is a story about
an ethical dilemma that happened during a mountain trek in the Himalayas. In this story, the main
character is Bowen H. McCoy, so we need to analyze from his perspective.

The dilemma in this story was whether to prioritize their individual goals and continue their arduous
climb, or to stop and help the sadhu, potentially putting their own lives and goals at risk.

1.

McCoy decided to continue with his ascent up the mountain, leaving the Sadhu behind. This indicates
that the moral dilemma and the decision they made continue to trouble him and weigh on his
conscience. Hence, the reason he was feeling haunted. Whether he should be or not is completely
subjective. There isn’t a correct answer, he just did what he thought was best. He could have done less
and ignore the Sadhu, or he could have done more and put his group at risk. This kind of situations as
leaders comes with the continuous self-questioning of “what-if” or “maybe I could’ve done it better”.
There is no perfect answer, therefore I don’t think McCoy should feel “haunted”.

2.

Even though McCoy is not explicitly mentioned to be the leader of the group, he took part of the role
of a leader becoming a guide for major decision-making, therefore it can be inferred that he was
ultimately responsible for himself and the group of individuals with whom he was trekking in the
Himalayas. Furthermore, McCoy had a moral responsibility for the well-being of the Sadhu during
their encounter on the mountain.

3.

When considering how people behave, particularly in matters of morality, we tend to focus on their
character factors. While situational factors are those that surround us and we need to adapt for
decision making. In the case of McCoy, it was no different.

As for situational factors:

- The weather and climbing conditions

- Limited Resources
- Unexpected Encounters

As for character factors:

- Moral Dilemma
- Group-thinking
- Sense of Urgency
4.

Leader is a person who leads or directs. McCoy was able to lead the group into assisting the
Sadhu and he was also able to lead the group to continue their ultimate goal of climbing the
mountain trek in the Himalayas.

Leading is when leadership is being exercised, so for those people who are able to lead. Let’s take
into consideration that McCoy wasn’t established the leader of the group, but through his ability
to lead, he was able to make the group follow a him to what he believes was the right thing to do.

Leadership is the capacity to lead. In the context of the situational and character factors, we can
define leadership as something only achievable for those who are able to manager all variables,
internals and external and take the decisions. It might not be the best outcome, but at least is not
waiting to see what happens.

5.

As a result of the dilemma. There is uncertainty about what happened to the Sadhu. McCoy didn’t
know if that was the best decision to make. As a result, there was guilt and regret. The
combination of these decisions and lack of guidance of a leader exposed everyone to possible
risks.

Therefore, to avoid this situation it would have been better to design a leader from the beginning.
It goes without saying that before making this kind of activities, it is important to design some
kind of parameters or procedures on how to act if this kind of situation could happen.

In essence, clearer communication, defined roles, and a shared understanding of ethical

responsibilities would have mitigated the unintended consequences of McCoy's decision in the
story of the Sadhu.