Read chapter 3, watch Week 6 Lectures, and watch the films “Gone Baby Gone” and “Sleepers”. 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. 500 words minimum in MLA format. Due on August 5th. Minimum 3 sources from LIRN Code: 24439 You must apply Kant’s 3 premises (course materials) for 50 points and Michael Sandel’s 3 contrasts (Week 6 Lecture “Mind your Motive”) for 50 points.
Justice: What’s The Right Thing To Do? Episode 06: “MIND YOUR MOTIVE” – film1
Justice: What’s The Right Thing To Do? Episode 07: “A LESSON IN LYING” – film2
Kant’s Three Premises Explained
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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.
