Movie Assignment Ethics

Ethics In Movies Assignment
For this group assignment (4 members per group), you are required to pick and watch any one (1) of movies from the list given:
1. Minority Report
2. Return to Paradise
3. Man of Steel
4. Runaway Jury
5. Extreme Measures
6. The Island
7. Match Point
8. The Insider

Assignment Objective
Upon watching the movie your group has chosen, this is what your groups are required to do:
You must answer four questions based on the movie. The questions are listed according to the movie your group is watching.
Each question must be answered in one (1) to two (2) pages each. Meaning that, in total, your assignment must be 4-8 pages.

Here are the assignment specifics:
1. Use Times New Roman, font size 12.

2. The assignment is due November 21 (Friday).

3. Do not summarize the movie. Your focus must be on the questions asked for the movie.

4. Avoid using contractions (he’ll, she’ll, they’re, they’ll). Always use complete sentences (he will, she will, they are, they will).

5. Use only third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they). Avoid first and second person pronouns (me, I, you, we).

6. Do not plagiarize! Make sure that the essay is your own. Do not copy and paste from the Internet! If you plagiarize, a score of ‘0’ will be given. I have zero tolerance for this.

7. To discourage plagiarism, you must print out a Turnitin report with your paper. You must do this through Blackboard.

8. Your answers should be based on your observation of ethics in the movie you have chosen. Meaning, you must try to apply the ethical theories learned in the class and analyze how the movie expresses a certain theory. Your group will be graded on the following criteria:

Ethical theories used (25 marks)
Validity of theories used (25 marks)
Analysis of theories (20 marks)
Structure of answers given (15 marks)
Grammar (15 marks)

9. Make sure your paper is grammatically correct. Consult another person (friend, parent, classmate, etc.) to have a second eye look through the paper to catch any mistakes your group might have made.

10. Your assignment should follow the MLA format. Look it up and make sure to follow it.

11. All group members must participate in the project. At the submission of the paper, your group leader will give me a report on the performance of each member. Your grade will depend on this.

Email me at any time if you have questions about the essay. My email is: [e-mail]
Minority Report
1. Does John Anderton have freedom of will, the ability to make free choices despite the influences of his heredity or his environment? Does anybody? What does it matter for the criminal justice system whether or not we have the capacity to choose our action freely? Explain.

2. Explain how the movie deals with consequentialism and non-consequentialism, particularly in the role the “Pre-Cogs” play in the movie and the idea behind Pre-Crime.

3. What would a Kantian say about the movie?

4. What if our society in the near future will be able to predict criminal behavior with near certainty? What should be done to the would-be criminals? Can we justify punishing people for something they haven’t done yet? In your answer, bring in anything in the chapter on Reward & Punishment that would apply here.

5. Which principle or principles of the Humanitarian Ethics does the movie express? Is there a conflict between two or more principles in the movie? Explain your answer.

Return to Paradise
1. Explore the changes in the characters of Tony and Sheriff. Which change is the greatest and why?

2. What would a psychological egoist say to this story? What would an ethical egoist say?

3. Is anyone being altruistic in this film? Does a person have to have no self-interest involved in order to be unselfish?

4. Which principle or principles of the Humanitarian Ethics does the movie express? Is there a conflict between two or more principles in the movie? Explain your answer.

Man of Steel
1. When Jor-El explains the history of Krypton to his son, Kal-El, he says that “Krypton lost something precious.” In your own words, explain what he meant and how that ties into the determinism vs. indeterminism debate.

2. If morality only applies to human beings, then Superman must be exempted. Yet, he is taught to be a moral being by his parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent. Why should Superman adhere to moral codes? Explain your answer.

3. In the end of the movie, Superman kills General Zod reluctantly. Explain this act in terms of the debate between consequentialism and non-consequentialism.

4. Which principle or principles of the Humanitarian Ethics does the movie express? Is there a conflict between two or more principles in the movie? Explain your answer.
Runaway Jury
1. Jury members who consider facts and render a verdict based on those facts are voting with their heads, not their hearts. What do you think of Nicks’ appealing to the jurors’ emotions, rather than to their reason? Try to include a theory learned in class that applies here.

2. Try to imagine the scenario being reversed. A juror who idealistically believes in the Second Amendment (the right to keep and bear weapons) persuades the jury to think with their heads, not their hearts, and acquits the gun manufacturer. Would this scenario be more objectionable to you? Less objectionable? The same? Explain your answer.

3. According to the filmmakers, the “good guys” win, even if they use dirty tricks. Would you agree that a good end justifies dirty means? Does it matter how we identify a “good end”? Evaluate Rohr’s reactions at the end: Does he approve of Marlee and Nick’s scheme, or doesn’t he?

4. How would a utilitarian view this movie? How would a Kantian?

5. Which principle or principles of the Humanitarian Ethics does the movie express? Is there a conflict between two or more principles in the movie? Explain your answer.

Extreme Measures
1. Is Dr. Myrick’s experimentation a noble quest to help humanity or a perverse abuse of human beings? Is there a third alternative? Explain your position.

2. In the end of the movie, Guy takes over Myrick’s research paper. Is this gesture an acceptance of Myrick’s utilitarian principles, or is there another possibility? By accepting the papers, have Guy’s hands now been dirtied? Why or Why not? Explain?

3. Is this film pro-utilitarian or anti-utilitarian? Explain.

4. Which principle or principles of the Humanitarian Ethics does the movie express? Is there a conflict between two or more principles in the movie? Explain your answer.

The Island
1. What is the film’s statement about personhood and human rights? Explain in detail.

2. How would an act utilitarian view this film? A rule utilitarian? A Kantian?

3. If scientists succeed in creating human adult clones, should clones be regarded as “having souls” Is that important? Why or why not?

4. Which principle or principles of the Humanitarian Ethics does the movie express? Is there a conflict between two or more principles in the movie? Explain your answer.

Match Point
1. Is this a realistic film? Is it a tragedy? Is it a comedy? What is the “moral of the story”?

2. What would Kant say is wrong with Chris’s choice of actions? Would the filmmaker, Woody Allen (who wrote and directed the movie), agree? Why or why not?

3. What, in your opinion, would have been “the right thing” for Chris to do? Would it depend on the outcome? Explain why or why not.

4. If one doesn’t think there is a higher power, and one believes that life on earth is here by accident, does that mean one has no moral obligations—that anything is permitted? Explain.

5. Which principle or principles of the Humanitarian Ethics does the movie express? Is there a conflict between two or more principles in the movie? Explain your answer.

The Insider
1. Use Kant’s second rule, that people should never be used merely as a means to an end, to evaluate Wigand and Bergman’s actions.

2. If you were in Jeffery Wigand’s position, what do you think you would have done? Is Wigand doing his “nearest duty”? Is that important?

3. How does the movie show the importance of ethics to a business, especially a tobacco company? Explain your answer.

4. Which principle or principles of the Humanitarian Ethics does the movie express? Is there a conflict between two or more principles in the movie? Explain your answer.