Years ago, I attended an Ethics program In Washington, DC sponsored by the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education. The program was about the importance of sharing stories of people who are ethical to serve as a model for doing the right thing. The premise was that a powerful way to teach ethics is to have a class read about what ethical people look like in action. I also had in mind that what worked for me in teaching ethics was doing this but also including videos of ethical behavior as well. While at the seminar we did not discuss ethical theories but focused on ethical action from different books and videos where theory could be seen. Many of us learn by reading the printed word. Others learn by seeing examples of ethical action on the silver screen.
I found that students were, at times, more engaged by the visual than the written word. Sometimes we would view a film such as “Before and After” starring Liam Nelson and Meryl Streep that was filled with legal ethics, the importance of telling the truth and the ramifications for decisions that we make with unattended consequences of our choices. We also viewed a film such as “Gattica” which is regarded by the Penn Center of Bioethics to be a great source of material that could generate a discussion of bioethics. This approach worked well as students didn’t want to leave class when there was a cliff hanger moment that left them wanting more. Most TV series have this approach so you would tune to the next episode.
The students understood that the movie was a vehicle to discuss the ethical issues and theory involved that we had covered in class. Combining head and heart turned out to be a winning strategy. They also were asked for examples of books to read or videos to see that would emphasize ethical problems. For example, Jodi Picoult’s books are based in an ethical dilemma. What books or movies would you choose and why?
During this time of Black Lives Matter, there are many options for ethical discussion. Recently I viewed the documentary, “Good Trouble”, The Life of John Lewis. He was born on a sharecropper’s farm and rose to be a senator in congress. His story is really the history of the civil rights movement that focuses on the privilege and power of voting. You are drawn in to see what people went through to have the right and responsibility to vote. I can’t imagine someone seeing this movie, “Good Trouble”, and failing to vote.
Voting is an ethical action for it is an important choice. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this documentary would get many more to the voting booth.
The printed word provides us with the academic nature of ethics. It is not about what you “feel” is right. t is a matter for the intellect or head. The visual actions provide us with an experience that helps us to see what ethical behavior looks like. Whether it be the written word or the visual action they both help us to integrate the hard right over the easy wrong because “you can’t be what you can’t see”
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