Introduction
Traditionally, a given society comprises of individuals who share similar interests and ideologies (Hayward, 2008). These interests were mainly guided by the language, culture and beliefs of a given community. However, with modernization, the composition of modern society has changed drastically.
Most contemporary societies comprise of individuals from different ethnic groups. While this composition is favorable for the growth and development of the society, ethnic tension is usually present. In the United States, ethnic tension between the white and the colored communities has been present for several centuries. The same trend is present in African communities where ethnic differences are present between members of different tribes.
This paper will thus focus on ethnic differences and the ethics of safeguarding the family and the community at large as a result of ethnic tension and violence. To realize its goals, this paper will use the Kantian ethical theory to critically analyze the movie, “Hotel Rwanda”, that dramatized the genocide Rwanda faced in 1994 as a result of ethnic differences between its two main ethnic groups.
Ethics of Safeguarding the Family and the Community
The family is considered as the basic unit of the society. In most societies, it is the role of the man to provide for his family and ensure that it is safe from any threats (Pojman, 2000). Mr. Paul Rusesabagina, a Hutu, was too familiar with this role especially given the political tension that was present in Rwanda after the Tutsi rebels sparked a civil war between 1990 and 1993.
While the then president of Rwanda is expected to sign a peace agreement with the Tutsi rebels, the Hutus, who are the majority, were mobilizing themselves under a militia group known as Interhamwe who slowly start to attack the Tutsi population all across Rwanda (Gourevitch, 1998). The situation gets worse after the president’s plane is shot down resulting to his death and the Interhamwe quickly blame the attack on Tutsi rebels. This sparks violence all across the nation resulting in the death of close to 1 million Tutsis (Dallaire and Power, 2004).
While several ethical theories present themselves in this movie, the Kantian ethical theory can be used to best explain the actions of the agent (Paul) and the issue the movie is trying to describe. The Kantian theory is based on categorical imperative, a concept that is used to describe the supreme principle of morality in any given societal setting (Attfield, 2013).
In accordance to this theory, there are different means through which the categorical imperative can be described. The first approach is through the universal law formulae in which individuals are expected to act and conduct themselves in a manner that can be universally applied to others without causing harm (Attfield, 2013). This is consistent with the common saying of, ‘do to others what you expect to be done to you.’ The application of this law is to maintain a moral standard across the society with regards to our actions.
The second approach of the categorical imperative is through the principle of humanity. In accordance to this principle, individuals should always treat others as ends and not as means of achieving something (Schweitzer, 2013). In this respect, we should value other individuals and treat them in a selfless manner that will result in mutual benefit and societal growth and not in a selfish manner to achieve personal gain.
From the onset of the film, it is evident that Paul is seeking favors from army generals, tourists, and diplomats who frequent the hotel where he works. The main aim of doing this is to create good relations with these individuals who have influence within the Rwandan government just in case his family or himself is in dire need for help.
From an ethical perspective, it is clear that Paul is willing to go to any extent to protect his family especially given the fact that he is married to a Tutsi woman. This fact puts his family at high risk given the political tension that is present in the nation at the time. In the scene where his Tutsi neighbor is confronted, beaten, and arrested by the Rwandan army, Paul watches from a distance and refused to take any action despite the fact that he could help him given the connections that he had.
He makes it clear to his wife that his family comes first. By analyzing Paul’s action at this juncture, it is evident that he is acting against the universal law formulae since he is not treating his neighbors in a manner that he would wish other people to treat him. However, after considering the prevailing circumstances, Paul’s decision to act in this manner is justified since he has the sole mandate of first safeguarding his family.
However, Paul’s mandate of safeguarding his family drastically changes to safeguarding the community after violence broke our due to the assassination of the president. When he reaches home, he finds that his Tutsi neighbors are seeking refuge in his home. At this point, Paul uses any means necessary including bribing an army general to ensure that all the refugees who were at his home safely arrive at the Hotel where he works.
Paul could have easily abandoned the refugees and save his family alone but his conscious and morals drove him to use any means possible to save all the refugees. This is consistent with the principle of humanity where Paul treats all the refugees as ends and not as means.
With time, Paul finds himself handling over 1000 refugees from ethnicities and races and to ensure their safety, he uses all the connections that he has to ensure their safety. In the end, he manages to safely lead these refuges behind Tutsi rebel lines. It is through his courage, selflessness and the connections that has that enables Paul to save his family and other refugees through the civil war that resulted in the death of over 1 million people.
Conclusion
This movie clearly portrays the challenges that Paul faced and the ethical decisions he had to make to ensure the safety of his family and the community at large. Racism and ethnicity are one of the biggest ethical problems we are currently facing in the modern society. If we can apply the concepts of the Kantian theory, we can significantly eliminate these vices and live in harmony irrespective of our ethnic background, gender or race. This will make the world a better place and will also play a significant role in social and economic development.
References
Attfield, R. (2013). The Ethics of Environmental Concern. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Dallaire, R. and Power, S. (2004). Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. New York: Sage.
Gourevitch, P. (1998). We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. New York: Reed Business Inc.
Hayward, T. (2008). Political Theory and Ecological Values. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Pojman. L. (2000). Global Environmental Ethics. Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Schweitzer, A. (2013). Civilization and Ethics. London: A & C Black Publishers.