Read chapter 3, watch Week 6 Lecture, and watch the films “Gone Baby Gone” and “Sleepers”. You can rent these movies in YouTube for $2.99 or watch here for free:
Gone Baby Gone
Pick one movie and apply Kant’s moral philosophy to judge the MAIN FINAL action. For “Gone Baby Gone” judge Patrick’s final decision and for “Sleepers” judge the priest’s final decision. Judging any other action in the movie is an automatic zero. 700 words minimum in MLA/APA format.
*You must apply Kant’s 3 premises (week 6 folder) for 50 points and Michael Sandel’s 3 contrasts (Week 6 Folder Lecture: Mind your Motive) for 50 points.
Kant’s Categorical Imperative
Nature of the concept
The concept of the categorical imperative is a syllogism
1.The first premise is that a person acts morally if his or her conduct would, without condition, be the “right” conduct for any person in similar circumstances (the “First Maxim”).
2.The second premise is that conduct is “right” if it treats others as ends in themselves and not as means to an end (the “Second Maxim”).
3.The conclusion is that a person acts morally when he or she acts as if his or her conduct was establishing a universal law governing others in similar circumstances (the “Third Maxim”).In the case of ” Gone Baby Gone” the philosophical process you will follow in this paper should sound as something like this:
According to Kant’s first premise Patrick behaved moral because he returned the victim he was hired to find and without condition this is the “right” conduct for any detective in cases of kidnapping (the “First Maxim”). Here Kant speaks of doing the right prior to good.
2. On Kant’s second premise Patrick acted moral because he respected the dignity of Amanda and he treated her as an end in herself and not as means to an end like everyone else was doing in the film (the “Second Maxim”). Here Kant speaks of humans as special creatures and ends in themselves. Humans are ends, not means to an end. Los seres humanos son un fin, no un medio para un fin.
3. The conclusion is that a detective act morally when he reports a kidnapping to the police and this behavior should establish a universal law governing all detectives in cases of kidnapping (the “Third Maxim”). Here Kant asks us to test the universality of our action. Will it be OK if everyone does what I am about to do?