Essay on "Ethics and Moral Theory"

Quoted Instructions for "Ethics and Moral Theory" Assignment:

Ethics and moral theory

Please right an essay about Ethics and moral theory according to the criteria in the bottom, in only ONE of these movies

The Man without a Face (1993)

Director: Mel Gibson

Justin mcloed was a prep school teacher forced into early retirement after a terrible automobile accident in which his face was disfigured and one of his pupils was killed. Mcloed was charged with manslaughter and unjustly accused of being a pedophile. After years of living as a recluse- some of the local call him a hamburger head because of his burn scars- he accidentally meets a troubled young man named Charles, who wishes to attend a prestigious military academy.

This movie eloquently raises the question of whether plato is correct in holding that it is always better to be just, even if appearing to be unjust.

The Insider (1999)

Director: Michael Mann

This movie starkly portrays Kantian themes regarding doing one's duty merely because it is what one ought to d independent of consequences. If possible compare with Quiz Show (1994) Director: Robert Redford.

Life is beautiful (1998)

Director: Roberto Benigni

How to develop the essay

Once you*****ve formulated the issue on which you wish to focus and briefly described how it arises in the film, you should review some of the alternative *****˜answers***** that have been given to your major issue. For example, consider the differences among how a skeptic, a realist, and a Buddhist might interpret the issue presented in the film. Generally, you*****ll probably find that the film itself adopts or suggests a particular approach to the issue. Identify what that is if you can, and then consider the limitations of that approach in light of other possible ones. You might even ask yourself in what ways the film might have been different had it adopted other possible viewpoints on the issue. (Feel free, for instance, to suggest *****˜alternative endings***** that more agree with your own viewpoint.)

How to organize your essay

By this point, you should have chosen a film, formulated a philosophical issue that it raises, noted the perspective on the issue adopted by the film, and then considered some alternatives to that perspective. To organize your essay, you*****ll need to formulate an argument.

1) Introduction: A brief account of the manner in which the philosophical issue you want to explore presents itself in the film together with a presentation of the issue in more general terms. (For instance, *****In Indecent Proposal, a young married couple receives an offer from a wealthy and attractive man that the wife spend one night with him for a million dollars. The ethical issue is whether a sufficient sum of money (and the benefits for them it can buy) can justify their breaking of their marriage promises. At the most general level, the issue is whether moral commitments like promises can be justifiably broken if the consequences of doing so are sufficiently beneficial.)

2) A statement about the position adopted by the film. (For instance, this film seems to suggest that accepting the *****˜proposal***** was morally justifiable so long as their relationship was strong enough to survive the *****˜infidelity***** *****“ although I admit that someone else might read this a different way.)

3) Reasons why you agree or disagree with the viewpoint presented by the film. For this, you can refer to some of the readings and class materials. (Here you might point to the difference between *****˜utilitarian***** and *****˜formalist***** ethical views: A utilitarian would say, if everyone was happier in the end, it was OK; a formalist would say, it*****s never morally justifiable to break a promise. Then you*****d support one over the other, giving reasons for your support.)

4) Conclusion. This can take a number of forms. You might, for instance, conclude that the film itself adopted an immoral or unsupportable position; or that it was naïve or oversimplified in failing to present the entire realm of possible consequences; or that it never presented an important alternative viewpoint; or even that it was generally unrealistic or unsatisfying in dealing with the issue involved. The important thing is that your conclusion be a critical assessment of the film based upon your analysis of the issue involved, the film*****s perspective on it, and the reasons you gave for agreeing or disagreeing with it.