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Example research essay topic: Moral Distinctions Moral Conduct - 2,008 words

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American Beauty In American movies there are often underlying plots, hidden themes and subliminal messages. American Beauty is such a movie with an intangible agenda. There are many characters interacting with each other in obvious ways on the surface, such as leading normal lives in a normal neighborhood, but ultimately they affect the outcome of the movie because of less obvious character flaws and the way they conflict living with each other. The movie contains homoerotic behavior in a pair of homosexual neighbors, a homophobic father, and a questionable relationship between an average man and his teen neighbor. The homoerotic behavior displayed by the characters in American Beauty influences the development and eventual outcome of the movie by interactions and subliminal implications of characters and actions with such homoerotic behaviors. Moreover, homoerotic behaviors start with the blatantly homosexual neighbors, Jim and Jim.

They introduce themselves, as partners; a politically correct, and subtle way of letting people know their sexual orientation. Bringing homosexuals into the movie creates a break from the picture perfect image the neighborhood projects. They also act as foreshadowing, in that the couple shows the audience the reaction Mr. Fitch has to homosexuals. Bringing this conflict into the movie allows the audience to ponder the consequences of such a conflict.

The idea of homosexuality is brought up many times through the gay couple and predicts a larger conflict later in the plotting. The homoerotic context the neighbors bring to the movie is a less significant part of the movie, but magnifies the homophobia of Colonel Frank Fitch, and thus doing so, plays a large, but subtle part in the outcome of the movie. Similarly, the part of the Colonel is seemingly unimportant to the overall outcome of the movie, but surprises us in the conclusion of the film. The extreme homophobia of Frank Fitch is consistent throughout American Beauty. Frank would rather his son were dead than be a fucking faggot, (American Beauty). His homophobia acts as a mask for his homosexual thoughts.

One may argue that his homophobia is an inverse relationship for how strongly his homosexuality is. This constitutes a strong desire for men on the part of Frank Fitch because of his constant showing of contempt for homosexuals. Frank shows this desire for men by trying to flirt with his neighbor, Lester. Col. Fitch believes Lester will reciprocate his sexual desires because of a misconstrued situation involving Lester and Franks son.

Frank believes he sees his son taking money from Lester for sexual favors. While this upsets him greatly, Frank still runs into the arms of his neighbor. When Lester consoles Frank, he sees this as a green light for sexual activity between himself and Lester. He boldly attempts to kiss Lester, proving his masked desire for men. In the end, Col. Frank Fitch kills Lester, possibly for turning him down and bringing out his homosexuality.

All of the homoerotic behavior caused Lester's downfall because of one irate character with a fear for his own sexuality and for his own natural right. The question then rises: What is the meaning of life if natural rights are not a priority for some individuals? It is possible to find an answer in philosophy. Locke interpreted natural law as a claim to natural rights inherent in each individual. According to Locke, primitive man existed in a society, which was one of peace, good will, mutual assistance, and preservation. Even though characters in the movie, in my opinion, were close to primitive, still in order to survive in society they needed to follow generally accepted social norms and ethics.

According to Locke any group can set its own ethical standards and then decide to live by them or not. Ethical standards, whether an individual, a society, or even a whole nation establishes them, help to guide a persons decisions and actions. The commonly accepted definition of ethics is rules or standards that govern behavior. There are many different characters and actions in Alan Balls American Beauty that show the ethics, or what may seem to be the lack thereof, of each person. Not every character in the movie may seem to have ethics, and therefore affects their actions. There are plenty of unethical characters in American Beauty.

I alone would not make friends with or even be friends with someone just because I think that it will make me feel better. Lester's change of heart was something that came on all of a sudden. It has been going on between these two for as long as they have been friends. Although there were many characters with unethical actions, ethics is shown by the action that one makes, not what they think. Movie characters could have taken a totally different course of action had they acted upon their thoughts. According to Locke, thoughts of each individual are of primary importance, which makes it possible to conclude that in the movie characters should have been free to make a choice of their lifestyle.

After watching the movie we were able to see how the characters felt about ethics through their actions, which were not accepted according to existing social norms. This movie was very successful in showing this specific aspect of humanity. American Beauty is also that rare American film that abandons the war on drugs and openly endorses drug use as a way to enhance a persons physique and sex life, which according to beliefs of majority of society is not accepted according to social standards that exist. That definitely sets it apart from the crowd. Also, the boob count is higher than it is in most movies about the meaning of existence. In those instances, it does push the morality envelope.

Humes approach to morality is a descriptive-explanatory one, not a normative one (meaning he wants to describe, not prescribe, moral conduct). Hume claims to proceed as an anatomist (who draws conclusions based on empirical evidence) as opposed to a painter (who presents moral principles in their most favored light). Humes project in the Enquiry is to determine whether reason or sentiment constitutes the foundation of moral conduct of each individual. In contrast with the movie where the characters due to homoerotic behaviors needed to resist heterosexuality, ultimately deciding the outcome of the film. However, such principles cannot be solely viewed as their disbelief in moral conduct norms. The demise of Lester Burnham is solely due to the fact that he brought out the homoerotic behaviors in his homophobic neighbor.

Lester's neighbor shot him because of an insane realization that he himself was a gay man, living a lie; afraid of the truth, afraid of people knowing his sexual preference, afraid of losing his family, and afraid of facing himself. With regard to morality, Hume was most concerned with peoples actions, since he believed that their actions causally followed from their sentiments and desires. In this way, reason is incapable of motivating an action. Rather, Hume would say that it is our sentiment that ultimately drives our actions. According to Hume, reason cannot fuel an action and therefore cannot motivate it. In order to prove this against the idea of rationalism, Hume suggests firstly, that those who suggest that morality conforms to reason, and certain unchanging relations between things, are in turn suggesting that morality can be traced back merely to ideas and their relations.

Thus, Hume argues that rationalists suggest that reason alone enables us to make moral distinctions. Moreover, Hume then goes on to make a number of arguments suggesting that reason alone is not adequate to make moral judgments. It may be prudent, therefore to briefly summarize these arguments. Humes account of human psychology is central to his theory of morality.

Hume offers a naturalistic foundation for social practices and institutions rather than a rational or theological and puritan one. According to Hume, we approve of moral dispositions or conduct which are useful or agreeable to others or us. Because we desire approval, we equilibrate toward uniform practices of behavior. Hume believes that the differences between men arise from nature, from habit, and from education. Hume believes no skeptic, no matter how doubtful, can claim that there are absolutely no moral distinctions. Also, he accepts if we disregard these skeptics, we find that they eventually give up their unconvincing claims and come over to the side of common sense and reason.

In this paper, it will be shown that ultimately Hume maintains that benevolence is not the basis for self-love; rather it focuses on the utility to please, and the need for benevolence for its own sake. The particular instances on which Hume first focuses are those relating to two social virtues: benevolence and justice. According to Hume freedom at any level is the most important thing for every person. Since American Beauty was about complex relationships between individuals and about interactions of these individuals in a certain social group, it is possible to see how hart it is sometimes to exist in certain environment, where your rights and freedoms are influenced by moral standards.

The characters of the movie definitely lacked such a freedom, even though some may notice that the characters were free to choose. The purpose of this in not to say that one dream or desire is better than another or that there is a right and a wrong dream to have. The point is that no matter whom you are, regardless of where you are in your life, you are free to choose what to do. It is never too late to go for your dream as long as you have the will and desire to do so. Human freedom is always oriented towards some goal that is at least implicitly practical.

This absolute end, this imperative which is transcendent yet acquiesced in, which freedom itself adopts as its own, is what we call a value. Sartre says, Man has to be considered as the being through which the Good comes into the world; yet he says that the Good is universal. Therefore, the morals of the world are universal, but the people in the world decide what is right and wrong. Man us the source of all good and all evil and judges himself in the name of the good and evil he creates.

Therefore a priori is neither good nor evil. With regard to morality, Sartre was most concerned with peoples actions, since he believed that their actions causally followed from their sentiments and desires. In this way, reason is incapable of motivating an action. Rather, Sartre would say that it is our sentiment that ultimately drives our actions. According to Sartre, reason cannot fuel an action and therefore cannot motivate it. Hume allows for the fact that some peoples actions are more depending on a situation rather then on sentiment.

In order to genuinely feel approbation, people must remove themselves from subjectivity, and allow themselves to be completely impartial; this does not explain huge differences after this has been taken into consideration. For example on balance, most people would agree that prostitution raises feelings of a particular kind. Hume affirms that moral distinctions are contrived for the purpose that we have the preference to benefit human society by making life of each member of society better in the way of not allowing the situation to control and form moral distinctions. Hume thinks that moral distinctions cannot be based on reason to discover what is right, wrong, good and bad and after watching the movie I noticed that probably all the people who worked on American Beauty had the same opinion.

The main theme in the movie was that people should not have to portray to be whatever we think we are supposed to be and should not distinguish what is proper and moral or not. Each of us is the master of own life. People are not trying to be successful and happy only because they think they are supposed to be, but they are trying to be successful and happy because they want to be.


Free research essays on topics related to: social norms, ethical standards, american beauty, moral conduct, moral distinctions

Research essay sample on Moral Distinctions Moral Conduct

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