Pasores, Ileen M.

ME-1C

Ethics

Different Ethical Perspectives

Reflection Paper about the movie entitled "Along with the Gods Part 1"

Death is the end of all living things. It is where all body function ceases and rests forever.
However, what really happens after death? Is there another life for us after we die, or will we be
reincarnated? Are we bound to be judged based on our mortal sins? Or will we just experience the void
of nothingness and, slowly, our consciousness disappear? In the movie ‘Along with the Gods’, when a
person dies an honorable death, they are permitted to be reincarnated if they pass the trials in the
seven gates of hell, which represent seven mortal sins. In the movie, the protagonist, named Ja-Hong,
died while saving a child from the building that was being burned. After that, he met his three guardians,
who would guide him through the trials at the gate of hell. I was amazed by the character of Ja-Hong.
Despite living a somewhat unlucky life, he was able to help many people when he was alive. I somehow
connect this to Kantian’s deontology, especially since it was proved when Ja-Hong was judged in the Hell
of Indolence. According to Kantian's Deontology, a person acts morally if and only if he does what he is
obligated to do, which is done with a sense of duty or obligation. When Ja-Hong unexpectedly blurted
out that he was just doing those acts for money, the Goddess of Indolence was enraged and wanted to
punish him for eternity. When Ja-Hong said that, we can assume that he was doing those acts without a
sense of duty. However, it was proved wrong when his guardians pleaded with the Goddess and
explained that he was acting to gain money, not only doing it sincerely but also to help his deaf mother
and his brother, who is studying law. During that time, we can see that he did many good deeds despite
putting his life at risk. I was doubting why he could so easily say that those acts were just to gain money
when, in fact, they really were not. According to Virtue Ethics, we acquire moral virtues through
practice. If we practice these virtues, we’re most likely to make the right decisions in the face of such
challenges in life. During most of his trials, Ja-Hong almost messed up with all of those. He was aware of
his decisions and he was able to easily distinguish if what he did was good or bad. The problem was,
there was a point in his life where he committed a grave mistake, which was to poison his mother and
siblings because of poverty. What made him do this? The natural law of ethics tells us that the source of
moral law is reason itself, that is to do good and not evil. We know we are acting correctly if we follow
the voice of reason; we know we are acting wrongly if we act against it. I know I am doing the right thing
if and when I follow the voice of conscience; otherwise, I feel a sense of guilt, self-reproach, or remorse.
That is what happened when Ja-Hong made that mistake. Only when his brother prevented him did he
realize that it really was wrong and promised to live a better life helping his family. In the end, he was
able to pass all those trials, proving that he deserved to be reincarnated. For me, those trials, if
somehow they are true, make it fair for everyone in order to acquire justice. In John Rawls’ theory of
justice, he believed that everyone should have equal basic rights and should follow in egalitarianism,
which is true. Everyone should have equal rights. If one commits immoral acts, he or she must be judged
fairly. Only then can we have a safe world wherein all people act not only for their own benefit but also
for the good of others.