Would Ben let someone he loved die for the greater good of the Cause if he had a choice and it was in his power to save them?
This answer varies depending upon the timeline. In S1, we see Ben when he's young and idealistic, and rather green towards the horrors of w.ar. He visibly recoils at the idea of ending an innocent life when, rather than give Newt a fair trial, Gen. Scott commands that he e.xecute him on the spot. He's also visibly discomfited upon witnessing his first h.anging. Guilty or not, Ben still has trouble coming to grips with this since it's not only a man on their side, but a senseless loss of life (and, as we find out later on, Ben thinks of his friend, Nathan H.ale, with every e.xecution).
At the end of S1, Ben takes the men W.ashington gave him on a self-centered mission to rescue his father. And did this mission further the Cause for the greater good? No. Ben was thinking of himself. He risked his men's lives to save one life (Nathaniel's), and although I wouldn't call him callous and willing to sacrifice others for his father and his own well-being, he was certainly blinded by emotion, which is a common flaw for Ben throughout the series.
By S4, Ben is at his most callous. He's been hurt again and again, and thus, has finally developed a thick skin. Most fans seem to dislike this Ben the most, because he's very angry and temperamental, but I find him very human here. Ben's realized that whether he likes it or not, s.acrifices can and do need to be made for the greater good. He's seen men he admires (GW) use people he cares about (H.ale) to lie and further the Cause. He's discovered how expendable anyone is for the sake of the bigger picture, and slowly starts to shift into that mindset too. That's not to say he doesn't help his friends (i.e. Ben and Abe staging the rescue for Caleb), but he's far more willing to use them as tools to achieve the end goal, like with putting Anna into an uncomfortable position with H.ewlett in S3.
In short, he wouldn't let friends d.ie if he could save them and it wouldn't lead to A.merica's loss, but if it was in his power and the friend's d.eath would lead to the c.olonies falling, then yes. By S4, I do believe he'd s.acrifice them -- because if he didn't, all the d.eaths and s.acrifices already made would be for nothing. I think that's a big reason why Ben is so furious with Caleb in S4, because his reckless behavior needlessly endangered their friends and everything they'd worked so hard for. Moments of Ben's humanity still shine through (i.e. getting so upset over the e.xecutions for the mutiny, and the glimmer of hope and the reminder of what they're fighting for with Sprout). He's not a bad man in S4, but he's certainly a hard man, and ultimately chooses pragmatism over sentiment. And he hates it. It's obvious he hates it, but by that point, feels he has no other choice.
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