Dr. Ben Adam, an eminent brain surgeon, follows the five Rules of Actional Thought. One day, he has a patient, Mr. Smith, who is unconscious. In considering medical procedures to use for Mr. Smith, he...

Dr. Ben Adam, an eminent brain surgeon, follows the five Rules of Actional Thought. One day, he has a patient, Mr. Smith, who is unconscious. In considering medical procedures to use for Mr. Smith, he creates the following tree about state-of-the-art medical technology and its impact on patients.

Since Mr. Smith is unconscious, Dr. Adam cannot assess his preference over the possible outcomes. One of the nurses suggests that Dr. Adam use the preference of a typical patient as he sees appropriate from his experience. The preference ordering Dr. Adam lays out is as follows from the most preferred to the least preferred: OK, severe pain, loss of memory, or death.