Hi Dan,
A number of films that seem to be more about epistemology/truth have a
fairly significant ethical component: e.g. _Rashomon_ & _Hilary and
Jackie_ are not just raising the question what really happened, but also
pointing out that what "really" happened is a subject for
interpretation, and hence so is the question whether and where moral
wrongs have been committed.
Action movies conveniently sidestep ethical questions -- is Indiana
Jones's personal ambition to find the latest treasure really sufficient
grounds for his willingness to risk the lives of hundreds of people en
route? -- which seems an important point to address. (Simone de
Beauvoir talks about the adventurer in _An Ethics of Ambiguity_
precisely in terms of the contradiction built into the attitudes that
motivate him or her: the adventurer has seen that a "principled"
(serious) approach to ethics is flawed insofar as it puts universal
ideals higher than the individuals for whose sake they are formulated,
but then turns around and puts his or her individual aspirations higher
than any other individuals who might be sacrificed along the way.) The
flaws in the attitude of the adventurer are highlighted in Pontecorvo's
_Burn!_ (_Quimada_), where William Walker (Brando) plays the role of the
adventurer.
Nate
--
Nathan Andersen
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Collegium of Letters
Eckerd College
4200 54th Ave. S. Phone: (727) 864-7551
St. Petersburg, FL 33712 Fax: (727) 864-8354
U.S.A. E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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