Movies, Stories, Ethics

Catalog description

Stories are the most popular way we make sense of our lives and the world around us, and this introductory, discussion-based course focuses on stories told in different media - especially literary and cinematic -- to explore ethical issues. We see how, in everyday life, people have experienced moral quandaries and sought to understand and resolve them. We examine short texts and videos about our duties not only to others but also to ourselves - as well as to non-human creatures and our planet. We view films that focus on: acts of conscience and dissent (Official Secrets; Spotlight); organized political resistance (Gandhi; Amazing Grace); gendered self-deception ( TV's Mad Men); and go on to compare representations of major socio-political events (Central Park Five; When They See Us).