The Ethics of "A Beautiful Mind"
IntroductionBy examining the basic content sketch of the movie, A Beautiful Mind, and actual events that occurred in John Nash's life, many ethical concerns will be addressed. Movies like A Beautiful Mind create and amplify many ethical concerns relating to the portrayal of mental illnesses and how society views them. The identity of the ethical concerns exposed in a popular media event, the ethical dilemmas presented and an ethical theory that is used to address public concerns when a major form of entertainment is used to misinform and the values exposed in an art form using distortion for entertainment are all ethical concerns that occur within this film, and through other entertainments. The concern lies in the social responsibility that is ethically addressed for moving making and then finally the ethical steps that should be taken and the overall conclusions about these ethical concerns.
Depiction of Mentally Ill CharactersIn entertainment, mental illness is rarely treated as a medical condition. Instead, people who have medical disabilities are usually portrayed as serial killers, psychopaths, or as objects of amusement or pity such as Norman Bates in Psycho, Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs, Bobby Bouchet in The Waterboy or John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. Unfortunately, under the guise of "entertainment" the diagnosis and treatment of people with a mental disability has become misconstrued and downplayed. The other characters that interact with the person react in terrifying fear, malicious treatment, or unyielding support.
Mental illness is a legitimate medical condition often requiring intense treatment to control. When treatment is shown, is muted, and downplayed. In the examples above, Norman Bates, Hannibal Lector and John Nash were forcibly restrained in mental institutions. The final scene from Psycho shows him sitting in a padded room wearing a straight jacket. Hannibal Lector is behind one inch thick glass for most of the movie. Actual
Depiction of Mentally Ill CharactersIn entertainment, mental illness is rarely treated as a medical condition. Instead, people who have medical disabilities are usually portrayed as serial killers, psychopaths, or as objects of amusement or pity such as Norman Bates in Psycho, Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs, Bobby Bouchet in The Waterboy or John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. Unfortunately, under the guise of "entertainment" the diagnosis and treatment of people with a mental disability has become misconstrued and downplayed. The other characters that interact with the person react in terrifying fear, malicious treatment, or unyielding support.
Mental illness is a legitimate medical condition often requiring intense treatment to control. When treatment is shown, is muted, and downplayed. In the examples above, Norman Bates, Hannibal Lector and John Nash were forcibly restrained in mental institutions. The final scene from Psycho shows him sitting in a padded room wearing a straight jacket. Hannibal Lector is behind one inch thick glass for most of the movie. Actual
References: merican Psychiatric Association (2000). "Schizophrenia". Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.. Besley, J. (2008, Summer2008). Media use and human values. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 85(2), 311-330. Brown, W., & Singhal, A. (1993, Fall93). Ethical considerations of promoting prosocial messages through the popular media. Journal of Popular Film & Television, 21(3), 92. Christians, C., Rotzoll, K., Fackler, M., McKee, K., Woods, R., (2005). Media ethics cases and moral reasoning. 7th ed., Peason education. Hospers, J. (2000). Ethical egoism. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from the website http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/e/egoism.htmHursthouse, R., (2007). Ethical theories compared. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from the website http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/intro/ethical_theories.htmlMental illness in movies (2006). The Western Journal of Medicine, 175(4), 226. Retrieved September 12, 2009, from Gale database. Mirriam-Webster.com, (2008). Ethics. Retrieved on September 13, 2009 from website http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethicsPrennhall.com. Nash, J. (1994) Autobiography, Retrieved September 13, 2009 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/1994/nash-autobio.htmlNichols, Bill. (2008). What to do about documentary distortion? Towards a code of ethics.International Documentary Association. Documentary.orgReflections on ethics and values on policy. Retrieved on September 27, 2009 from website http://www.ethicaledge.com/enron.htmlLanderRidley, A., (1998). Descriptions of ethical theories and principals. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from the website http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/kabernd/Indep/carainbow/Theories.htmScott, A.O. (2002) Critics notebook: A 'mind ' is a hazardous thing to distort. The New York Times. 2002, March 21. . Social responsibility. Retrieved on September 13, 2009 from website http://www.prenhall.com/rm_student/html/glossary/s_gloss.htmlWary, H. (1998). Fearsome madness: schizophrenia remains frustratingly hard to control. U.S. News and World Report, 125(n6), 53(2). Retrieved September 12, 2009, from Gale database.