M2.3D Should Batman Kill the Joker
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M2.3 Discussion: Should Batman Kill the Joker?
1.
Do you think Batman should kill the Joker? Should the controller switch the trolley to another
track? Are these questions one and the same? Reflecting on your own life, and/or some of the
everyday examples Schur provides, describe a real-life scenario where you had to make an
ethical decision, choosing between deontological and teleological options.
I do not believe Batman should kill Joker. Part of me thinks my decision may be slightly biased because of
my admiration for Batman, but I will try to work past it. Looking at Kantian theory, Batman has created
maxims for himself that he stays faithful to (Schur,). One of them being taking down evil in the city and
allowing the justice system to work it out. Further, he does not seem to use people to get what he wants.
The controller should switch the track to take the life of one versus five. I think of this in utilitarian terms
mentioned in Michael Schur's How to Be Perfect , where the consequences, or result, is four lives saved
(Schur,). Obviously there are so many different avenues that can be taken in terms of exploring what is
right, for example the psychological effect on the person pulling the lever. A counter argument can be
made saying that "the route of the trolley is the natural happening, and let nature run its course". But
my rebuttal to that would be, how many things are just naturally occurring ("big" or "small") in the world
around us on a daily basis that we could just choose to let go, or not let go? I think the Batman/Joker and
trolley question are similar but not the same. The main reason I say they are different is that Batman
knows the Joker (on some level at least). The person in the trolley does not know the 6 people on the
tracks (Irwin & Johnson, 2010). Or at least that is what I gather. I am a Medical Secretary that handles
Insurance Authorizations & Referrals for Imaging Procedures and Specialty Provider appointments. Most
of the responsibilities include doing everything for the patient to make their appointment as smooth as
possible. While I take care of my tasks, ethically I have to help them whether they give me an attitude or
not. If their procedure was denied due to Insurance reasons, half the time they yell and get angry.
Ethically I have to appeal the case whether they were rude or not because it’s the right thing to do.
Kant's ethics focused on answering questions like: "What makes an action right or wrong? Which actions
are we required by morality to perform? Do consequences matter?" (Abumere et al, n.d., p.53). I would
briefly summarize his deontological ethics as creating maxims/principles that can be universally used,
abiding by those maxims/principles no matter the result, and not using other people as means to a
desired end. The poem Schur comedically created in his book to explain Kantian ethics is "Act only out of
duty to follow a universal maxim, derive these maxims using your pure reason, happiness is irrelevant,
End of poem (Schur, 2022, p.69).
Reference:
Reference
Abumere, F. et al. (n.d.).Introduction to philosophy: Ethics Rebus Community Schur, M. (2022). How to
be perfect: The correct answer to every moral question. Simon &Schuster
William Irwin, & David Kyle Johnson. (2010). Introducing Philosophy through Pop Culture: From Socrates
to South Park, Hume to House. Wiley-Blackwell.
2.
Do you feel that superheroes should be held to the same standards as mere civilians? Would you
exempt superheroes from Kant’s test of whether a rule should apply to everyone because of
M2.3 Discussion: Should Batman Kill the Joker?
heroes’ superpowers? What would be the consequences of granting special rules for
superheroes?
Yes we should hold superheroes to the same standards as civilians. Irwin, W. & Kyle, D. (2010) state that,
" Deontology should not think of morality in terms of ends and means at all; instead, we should act only
in ways that express essential moral rules" ( Irwin, W. & Kyle, D. (2010 ). This issue with Kant's rules is
that he believes that if we are following the "right rules" then we are acting morally but if we don't
follow the rules then we are not moral. Who is to say was is morally right and wrong? Our heroes maybe
believe that their actions are morally correct but the same can be said for the villains. The "rules" are too
broad to apply. However, just because someone has superpowers doesn't mean that they are above the
rules. They should have to accept the consequences for their actions. Although this is something that we
rarely if ever see in comics or in the movies.
REFERNCE
Irwin, W. & Kyle, D. (2010).Introducing philosophy through pop culture: FromSocrates to South Park,
Hume to House. Links to an external site. John Wiley &Sons, Inc.
Schur, M. (2022).How to be perfect: The correct answer to every moralquestion.Simon & Schuster
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