A Moral Dilemma in the Gone Baby Gone Film Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Introduction

In the contemporary world, people usually deal with moral dilemmas, especially when deciding on the ultimate good. Philosophically, the correct definition of good action varies depending on various schools of thought. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to analyze if Judge Patrick, in the play Gone Baby Gone, demonstrated Kant’s categorical imperative premises and Michael Sandel’s contrasts on moral law in his judgment.

Kant Three Premises

Emmanuel Kant’s first premise dictates that a person should act according to the universal moral law. In this context, Patrick behaved well since he decided to report the culprit while at the same time taking back the girl to the mother. On Kant’s second premise, Patrick acted morally right since he respected Amanda’s dignity and treated her as her child (Arikan 79). In this context, he perfectly applied Kant’s idea on the special nature of creatures and ends. Finally, Patrick applies the last premise of Kant by reporting the case to the police, hence establishing a solid ground for universal law.

Michael Sandel’s Contrast

In his work, Michael Sandel accepts that people maximize three contrasting social welfare factors. These common items revolve around human welfare, freedom, and virtue. According to Sandel, Patrick behaved well by caring for the girl’s welfare, dignity, and the community at large (Arikan 90). Sandel continues to challenge the moral dilemma by accepting the need to promote freedom. In his contrasting view, he believes that Patrick played a significant role in promoting the freedom of the girl and her parents. Finally, he accepts the need for good virtue, thus promoting Patrick’s action of reporting the case to the police.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear that Judge Patrick’s action of reporting the crime committed by Jack while at the same time taking the girl back home was morally right. He managed to act morally in the movie Gone Baby Gone, as spelled by Kant’s theory of maxim and Sandel contrasts. Patrick effectively utilized antecedence on the Kantian and Sandel perspectives of moral reasoning.

Work Cited

Arikan, Seda. “.” SineFilozofi, 2020, 78-90. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2023, December 30). A Moral Dilemma in the Gone Baby Gone Film. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-moral-dilemma-in-the-gone-baby-gone-film/

Work Cited

"A Moral Dilemma in the Gone Baby Gone Film." IvyPanda, 30 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/a-moral-dilemma-in-the-gone-baby-gone-film/.

References

IvyPanda. (2023) 'A Moral Dilemma in the Gone Baby Gone Film'. 30 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2023. "A Moral Dilemma in the Gone Baby Gone Film." December 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-moral-dilemma-in-the-gone-baby-gone-film/.

1. IvyPanda. "A Moral Dilemma in the Gone Baby Gone Film." December 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-moral-dilemma-in-the-gone-baby-gone-film/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "A Moral Dilemma in the Gone Baby Gone Film." December 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-moral-dilemma-in-the-gone-baby-gone-film/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1