Ethics in Les Miserables
Business Ethics – Les Miserables Analysis
When faced with concepts like crime and punishment, there is a majority of people who would claim that the law must be obeyed under all circumstances, without any exception. It would actually be quite difficult to find someone who openly stated beliefs that criminals should sometimes get away with crime instead of being brought to justice. The character of Javert in Les Miserables is a classic example of an absolutist who believes in the supreme power of the justice system. This character proves that absolutism can actually cause underlying issues and moral dilemmas. This is one of the first ethical theories that is addressed in Les Miserables. Rule-based theory, also called deontological theory, says that the moral thing to do in any given situation is to follow the rules, to obey the law, and to do your duty. Deontological theories tend to downplay the relevance of consequences. This means that if there is a rule not to lie, it is immoral to lie, even if lying will help a lot of people.
Javert believes that laws are to be obeyed under all circumstances. Criminals are to be brought to justice, and they can never be redeemed. Javert is the perfect lawman: he does his duty and is not corrupt in anyway. However, he cannot resolve the conflict within himself as the story progresses and he begins to understand that second chances do matter, people can change, and there is such a thing as redemption. Javert’s resolve to not believe this is so great, that instead of truly coming to terms with it, he decides to end his own life instead. If the law does not represent the ultimate and supreme truth, then he has no purpose and no understanding.
It could be argued that Javert was a coward for taking “the easy way out”. Some might say that he should have faced the consequences of his action, namely, letting Valjean escape when he had the opportunity to capture him. Perhaps it is true that Javert should have either followed what he
When faced with concepts like crime and punishment, there is a majority of people who would claim that the law must be obeyed under all circumstances, without any exception. It would actually be quite difficult to find someone who openly stated beliefs that criminals should sometimes get away with crime instead of being brought to justice. The character of Javert in Les Miserables is a classic example of an absolutist who believes in the supreme power of the justice system. This character proves that absolutism can actually cause underlying issues and moral dilemmas. This is one of the first ethical theories that is addressed in Les Miserables. Rule-based theory, also called deontological theory, says that the moral thing to do in any given situation is to follow the rules, to obey the law, and to do your duty. Deontological theories tend to downplay the relevance of consequences. This means that if there is a rule not to lie, it is immoral to lie, even if lying will help a lot of people.
Javert believes that laws are to be obeyed under all circumstances. Criminals are to be brought to justice, and they can never be redeemed. Javert is the perfect lawman: he does his duty and is not corrupt in anyway. However, he cannot resolve the conflict within himself as the story progresses and he begins to understand that second chances do matter, people can change, and there is such a thing as redemption. Javert’s resolve to not believe this is so great, that instead of truly coming to terms with it, he decides to end his own life instead. If the law does not represent the ultimate and supreme truth, then he has no purpose and no understanding.
It could be argued that Javert was a coward for taking “the easy way out”. Some might say that he should have faced the consequences of his action, namely, letting Valjean escape when he had the opportunity to capture him. Perhaps it is true that Javert should have either followed what he