The Parable Of The Sadhu On A Mountain Climbing Expedition

The Parable Of the Sadhuon A Mountain Climbing Expedition To The Himal

The Parable of the Sadhu on a mountain climbing expedition in the Himalayas tells of an ethical dilemma faced by climbers who encounter a dying pilgrim. Bowen McCoy, a managing director of Morgan Stanley, recounts how his team came across a Sadhu suffering from hypothermia on the mountain. Although they helped him, they ultimately chose to prioritize reaching their summit, raising questions about their moral responsibilities. This story, which won the Harvard Business Review’s Ethics Prize in 1983, serves as an analogy for corporate ethics, highlighting conflicts between goal achievement and moral duty.

During a six-month sabbatical trip in Nepal, the author immersed himself in local cultures and faced a situation that challenged his ethical beliefs. On an arduous trek in the Himalayas, at an altitude of 18,000 feet, the climbers encountered a barefoot Sadhu, nearly naked and suffering from hypothermia. The Sadhu had been found lying on the ice, and rescuers quickly clothed and stabilized him. Despite concern for their own safety and the impending climb, the climbers debated what their responsibilities were towards the stranded pilgrim.

The ascent was perilous, with symptoms of altitude sickness compromising several members of the team. As they pushed on, the question arose whether they should delay their own progress to aid the Sadhu further. McCoy and his companions struggled with the tension between individual morality, collective responsibility, and the practical limitations imposed by the mountain environment. Stephen, a fellow traveler and ethicist, argued that the group’s collective failure to ensure the Sadhu’s safety exemplified a breakdown of ethical responsibility inherent in group dynamics.

Eventually, the Sherpas and others managed to carry the Sadhu down to a safer altitude, but whether he survived remains unknown. The team members engaged in post-expedition debates, reflecting on their actions and moral obligations. McCoy’s experience forced him to confront questions about the limits of responsibility in high-stakes situations, and these questions extend to corporate settings, where organizational goals sometimes clash with ethical considerations.

The story illustrates that in complex, risk-filled environments, moral responsibilities are often ambiguous and contested. It challenges organizations and individuals to consider how to balance their pursuit of objectives with their moral duties towards others, especially when moral actions threaten to impede their goals. The Sadhu’s plight encapsulates the dilemma of whether survival and success justify compromising ethical principles, or whether moral duty should always take precedence. These debates remain relevant in contemporary business ethics, emphasizing that moral responsibility is not diminished by practical constraints or organizational pressures.

In conclusion, the Sadhu parable highlights the importance of ethical awareness and accountability in high-pressure environments. It prompts reflection on how organizations should develop ethical frameworks that address difficult dilemmas and foster moral courage. As McCoy’s experience demonstrates, neglecting moral duties in pursuit of success can have profound moral costs, lessons that resonate beyond mountain climbing to inform responsible business practices. Ethical leadership involves recognizing the limits of organizational responsibility and ensuring that moral considerations remain central in decision-making processes.

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