Moral Theory at the Movies: An Introduction to Ethics

375 Pages·2011·21.591 MB·English

by  Dean Kowalski

MORAL THEORY
AT THE MOVIES

MORAL THEORY
AT THE MOVIES
An Introduction to Ethics
DEAN A. KOWALSKI
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC.
Lanham • Boulder • New York • Toronto • Plymouth, UK
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Copyright © 2012 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic
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permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kowalski, Dean A.
Moral theory at the movies : an introduction to ethics / Dean Kowalski.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7425-4787-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4422-1455-2 (electronic)
1. Motion pictures—Moral and ethical aspects. 2. Motion pictures—Philosophy. I. Title.
PN1995.5.K65 2012
791.4301—dc23 2011031250

™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
To Mom and Dad

Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
1 Rhetoric, Philosophy, and Moral Reasoning 1
Featured Film: Thank You for Smoking (2005)
1.1 Thinking through the Movie 5
1.2 Historical Setting: Plato, Gorgias 5
1.3 Discussion and Analysis 12
1.4 Two Additional Films: Minority Report (2002) and
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008) 29
1.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 33
PART I: METAETHICS
2 Simple Ethical Subjectivism 39
Featured Film: Match Point (2005)
2.1 Thinking through the Movie 43
2.2 Historical Setting: David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature
and An Inquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals 43
2.3 Discussion and Analysis 46
2.4 Two Additional Films: The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
and The Shape of Things (2003) 57
2.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 62
3 Moral Relativism 65
Featured Film: Hotel Rwanda (2004)
3.1 Thinking through the Movie 68
3.2 Historical Setting: William Sumner, Folkways 69
3.3 Discussion and Analysis 72
vii
viii CONTENTS
3.4 Two Additional Films: The Joy Luck Club (1993) and
Do the Right Thing (1989) 84
3.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 88
4 Divine Command Theory Ethics 89
Featured Film: Frailty (2001)
4.1 Thinking through the Movie 92
4.2 Historical Setting: Plato, Euthyphro 93
4.3 Discussion and Analysis 98
4.4 Two Additional Films: Evan Almighty (2007) and
The Boondock Saints (1999) 108
4.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 113
5 Ethical Objectivism 115
Featured Film: The Cider House Rules (1999)
5.1 Thinking through the Movie 118
5.2 Historical Setting: Thomas Reid, Essays on the Active
Powers of Man 119
5.3 Discussion and Analysis 124
5.4 Two Additional Films: Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
and Schindler’s List (1993) 134
5.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 139
PART II: WHAT OUGHT I TO DO?
6 Biology, Psychology, and Ethical Theory 143
Featured Film: Cast Away (2000)
6.1 Thinking through the Movie 146
6.2 Historical Setting: Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica 147
6.3 Discussion and Analysis 151
6.4 Two Additional Films: Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Boys Don’t Cry (1999) 166
6.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 171
7 Utilitarianism 173
Featured Film: Extreme Measures (1996)
7.1 Thinking through the Movie 176
7.2 Historical Setting: John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism 177
7.3 Discussion and Analysis 183
7.4 Two Additional Films: Saving Private Ryan (1998) and
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 197
7.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 202
8 Kant and Respect for Persons Ethics 205
Featured Film: Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
8.1 Thinking through the Movie 208
CONTENTS ix
8.2 Historical Setting: Immanuel Kant, The Foundations of the
Metaphysics of Morals 209
8.3 Discussion and Analysis 214
8.4 Two Additional Films: 3:10 to Yuma (2007) and Amistad (1997) 229
8.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 233
9 Social Contract Theory: Hobbes, Locke, and Rawls 237
Featured Film: V for Vendetta (2006)
9.1 Thinking through the Movie 240
9.2 Historical Setting: Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan 240
9.3 Discussion and Analysis 245
9.4 Two Additional Films: Lord of the Flies (1990) and Serenity (2005) 259
9.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 264
PART III: HOW OUGHT I TO BE?
10 Aristotle and Virtue Ethics 269
Featured Film: Groundhog Day (1993)
10.1 Thinking through the Movie 272
10.2 Historical Setting: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 273
10.3 Discussion and Analysis 277
10.4 Two Additional Films: The Last Samurai (2003) and
As Good As It Gets (1997) 289
10.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 294
11 Care and Friendship 297
Featured Film: Vera Drake (2004)
11.1 Thinking through the Movie 300
11.2 Historical Setting: Nel Noddings, Caring 301
11.3 Discussion and Analysis 306
11.4 Two Additional Films: The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
and Life Is Beautiful (1997) 318
11.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 323
12 Plato and Being Good 325
Featured Film: The Emperor’s Club (2002)
12.1 Thinking through the Movie 328
12.2 Historical Setting: Plato, Republic 329
12.3 Discussion and Analysis 334
12.4 Two Additional Films: GoodFellas (1990) and
The Man without a Face (1993) 347
12.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies 351
Index 353
About the Author 359