Literature & Ethics
Introduction
In David Moltow’s article titled, Ethics and fiction: moral philosophy and the role for literature, literature
is defined as “a body of works which communicate moral insights that ring true
to human experience” and “an ideal tool for the exploration of ethical
concepts” (Moltow, 2006). Ethics, on the other hand, is a systematic and philosophical study of morality and its
justification. It explores concepts of moral imperativeness and assumptions of
truth, honesty, integrity, transparency.
Connection
Between Literature and Moral Philosophy
D.D. Raphael introduces four propositions to the possible
connection between literature and moral philosophy in his article titled, Can Literature be Moral Philosophy?
- A work of moral philosophy can also be a work of
literature.
-
Several works of philosophy possess literary merit without
compromising their status as works of 'serious' philosophy.
-
Plato's dialogues are excellent examples of how
philosophical arguments can be communicated in a literary mode.
- A work of literature can also be a work of moral
philosophy.
-
Novels that have been written by bona fide moral
philosophers are not the only ones that merit serious moral attention.
-
Jane Austen's novels are evidently informed by philosophical
questions of virtue and character.
- Moral philosophy can feed literature.
-
Philosophical reflections have, directly or indirectly,
provided material for some very fine novels.
-
Rashomon by Ryunosuke Akutagawa is an
exploration of what is the absolute truth.
- Literature can feed moral philosophy.
-
characters or situations in a work of literature can be used
as evidence for some issues in moral philosophy.
-
Edgar Allan Poe's Tell
Tale Heart proves how murder is inherently wrong and how guilt can drive a
person into madness.
-
Literature providing discourse of moral conflicts can feed
philosophy (Moltow, 2006).
Two Ethical Theories
- Utilitarian Ethics
-
“the greatest good for
the greatest number”
-
actions are morally right or wrong depending
on their effects.
-
actions are true or justifiable if it
contributes positively to human (and non-human) beings.
-
Utilitarians believe that the purpose of
morality is to make life better by increasing the amount of good things (such
as pleasure and happiness) in the world and decreasing the amount of bad things
(such as pain and unhappiness) (Nathanson, n.d.).
- Deontological Ethics
-
Rule or Duty-based ethics
-
actions are good or bad according to a clear
set of rules.
-
actions are right or truthful if it adheres to
the universal moral rules and duties that apply to every individual and
situation.
Literature as a medium of moral instruction
Through reading, individuals have the opportunity to
indirectly experience and observe various dilemmas, conflicts, and perspectives
of different characters from different situations. This allows the audience to
have varying ethical viewpoints to learn from.
References
Moltow, D. (2006). Ethics
and fiction : moral philosophy and the role for literature [Doctoral
dissertation,
University of Tasmania]. University of Tasmania
Open Access Repository. https://doi.org/10.25959/23228780.v1
Nathanson,
S. (n.d.). Act and Rule Utilitarianism.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
https://iep.utm.edu/util-a-r/#:~:text=Utilitarians%20believe%20that%20the%20purpose,such%20as%20pain%20and%20unhappiness).
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