Introduction (Part II): Films, moral imagination and ethical reasoning

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Introduction (Part II) Films, moral imagination
and ethical reasoning

• Hektor Yan
• Department of Public and Social Administration
• City University of Hong Kong
• Dec 11, 2008

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Background Moral imagination

• Ethical thinking cannot remain purely
  descriptive it has to engage with what ought to
  be the case. This means that the goal of ethical
  reasoning and ethical behaviour often involves
  the realisation of a state-of-affair that does
  not actually exist in the present.
• In other words, moral or ethical behaviour often
  presupposes some ethical ideal to strive for.

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Background Moral imagination

• However, how to characterise such an ethical
  ideal is not a straightforward matter. E.g., the
  just society.
• This situation suggests that an important part of
  ethical reasoning involves moral imagination the
  ability to envisage in a clear and comprehensive
  manner what our ethical ideals should be like.

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Background Moral imagination

• However, how to characterise such an ethical
  ideal is not a straightforward matter. For
  example, we might agree that we want our society
  to be a just society. But what exactly does it
  mean for a society to be just? What are the
  characteristics of a just society?
• This situation suggests that an important part of
  ethical reasoning involves moral imagination the
  ability to envisage in a clear and comprehensive
  manner what our ethical ideals should be like.

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The failure of our moral imagination

• It is possible for ethical reasoning to
  malfunction when our ability to do moral
  imagination is failing.

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The failure of our moral imagination

• Moral imagination can be frustrated for a number
  of reasons. Some common factors
• Habits and mental sets
• The pressure to conform
• The urge to obey authorities
• The persuasive influence of existing norms,
  ideologies and traditions
• The human inertia to change
• Greed and the desire to further ones
  self-interest
• The conceptual blind-spots of moral theories

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The failure of our moral imagination

• When moral imagination fails, the existing way of
  behaviour might be seen as the only alterative.
  One may even see ones own way of life as
  natural or inevitable.
• Appalling practices such as slavery or the
  oppression of women and minorities may be seen as
  acceptable as a result.

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The role of narrative and stories

• Narrative works are fictitious and they allow
  room for free imagination
• This freedom provided by imagination can even
  give us a chance to look at things from a
  perspective previously considered novel or alien
  to us.
• An example gender and ethics.
• Narrative works expand our moral imagination.

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The role of narrative and stories

• Narrative works (such as stories, novels and
  films) are fictitious they need not be a strict
  description of what is the case. As a result,
  narrative works can provide human beings with an
  opportunity to imagine freely and creatively.
• This freedom provided by imagination can even
  give us a chance to look at things from a
  perspective previously considered novel or alien
  to us.

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The role of narrative and stories

• An example gender and ethics
• Men may find it difficult to imagine themselves
  to be women, but a play or a novel about women
  may allow them a glimpse into the mental world of
  women.
• By giving a role for women to play in a narrative
  work, the creator must try to represent women as
  they are. In doing so, the narrative work has to
  give women a voice to express their own point
  of view.

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The role of narrative and stories

• Giving such a voice to women can not only help to
  empower them, it can also open up new conceptual
  possibilities. Instead of seeing the world in
  from a male-centred perspective, one may develop
  a sensibility to look at the world from an
  alternative perspective.
• The availability of such a perspective is
  ethically significant. It can form the basis by
  which we judge our existing moral intuition.
  Seeing our society as sexist, for example, can
  allow further ethical reflection to take place.
  Even radical changes in ethical sensibility or
  ethical paradigm may become possible.

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The role of narrative and stories

• Narrative works such as stories, novels and films
  can therefore activate and expand our moral
  imagination to the fullest extent. And since
  narrative works are often focused on the lives of
  particular human beings, they can allow us to see
  how ethical theories, which are often general and
  universal, can be related to the particularities
  of human lives.

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Narrative works can have a variety of ethical
roles

• With regard to moral and ethical values,
  narrative works can serve different functions
  and a single work can hold different functions at
  the same time
• To consolidate existing norms and conventional
  values
• To introduce new moral perspectives and values
• To challenge existing moral values

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Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis, 1993)
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?? (Ang Li, 1993) A film that makes us rethink
the relationship between homosexuality and
marriage.
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Film, Vera Drake (Mike Leigh, 2004)
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????Narayama bushiko English title Ballad
of Narayama
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Narrative works can have a variety of ethical
roles

• From this we can see that a critical attitude is
  needed when we are dealing with narrative works
  they may have their own biases and limitations.

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The positive functions of films in the context of
teaching ethicsfilms can

• Provide relevant background information
• Work as illustration of an ethical/philosophical
  theory or perspective
• Offer challenges to our existing beliefs
• Enable us to grasp and make sense of an
  alternative perspective
• Remind us the complex nature of real life issues
• Guide us to make sense of the actions and choices
  of individual human beings in particular
  circumstances
• Give us examples of role-models and exemplary
  behaviour
• Stimulate discussion

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Thinking ahead What should be the objectives of
ethics education?

• To develop among students an awareness of the
  ethical issues they may encounter in real life.
• To help students understand and articulate the
  conceptual nature and ethical challenges involved
  in major ethical issues.
• To introduce to students major ethical theories
  and their applications.
• To enable students to reach their own defensible
  ethical positions based on the best arguments
  available to them.