Ethics Discussion Board WK 6

In the film, the figure who most exemplified a Kantian deontologist was a young child named Rudy Steiner. A deontologist is someone who is ethically bound to follow a given set of rules regardless of the outcome. It is against the law in deontology to lie or steal. In the film, Rudy Steiner discovers that Liesel’s family is hiding someone in the basement, but he vows not to inform anyone. Liesel Meminger personifies utilitarianism. The young lady understands that stealing is wrong, yet she finds solace in stealing books and sharing them with those around her. Lastly, an egoist in the movies was the mayor. The mayor did not want to see Liesel reading in his house. Rosa was relieved of duties while Liesel was stopped from visiting the Mayor’s house.

The kind of moral growth that the protagonist (Liesel Meminger) undergoes throughout the film is a good interpersonal relationship. Liesel Meminger portrays good behaviors in the film by obeying the foster parents and helping Max recover from his trip. The movie provides insights into obligatory actions. These are actions that one is required to do. For instance, in the movie, one was required to enroll in the army. In the case of Hans, he was conscripted into the military and was required to attend immediately. Wrong actions were seen when Hans tried to stop the police from taking Max and ended up making his family visible.

The shortcomings of utilitarianism and deontology theories include the following. With utilitarianism theory, one cannot predict the future. In the movie, Liesel Meminger and Hubermann’s family could only predict the results of their actions, but they could not determine all the consequences of hiding Max from the authority. A deontology theory may give rise to moral fanaticism. Duty is given priority over humanity. A deontology theory does not consider elements such as sympathy and emotions. Kant argues that when a person loses sympathy, he/she no longer moves with any desire, but acts with the aim of fulfilling his/her duty. In a situation when a person acts for his/her own sake, the outcome would be a closed system whereby individuals do not find it necessary to inquire about certain actions, which is dangerous. Without sympathy, Kant’s concept of duty can result in moral fanaticism. With deontology, one is not flexible and has no chance to consider individual situations. In the movie, Rudy Steiner could not inquire why Liesel’s family hid Max before vowing not to reveal their secret.