Duty and Desire

1. Duty and Desire Lisa Does Her Duty

2. Three basic questions • 1) What is the experience of morality? • Duty against ordinary desires • Being a dutiful person is a “higher desire” • 2) How do we know what is our duty? • E.g., Lisa has a duty to better herself. • 3) Are dutiful people condemned to suffer? • =The problem of justice. • People who are good ought to be happy. It’s the wicked who should suffer, not the good.

3. Opposition/contradiction? • 1) Desires, feelings, interests (longer range desires) • First order preferences • 2) Duties, responsibilities • Second order reflection on the first order preference • Implies possibility of sacrificing first order of preferences for a “higher” order • Do the right thing!

4. Morality presupposes desires • For the Simpson family, duty stands out in opposition to desire • If there is no conflicting desire, doing what is right is not a “duty” • E.g., it’s not a duty to enjoy a good meal. • But there’s nothing wrong with that. • Fulfilling desires is wrong only when they conflict with a duty

5. What is the motive of the action? • I help a sick Aunt. Why? • 1) She’s fun to be around and I have nothing better to do • 2) I am hoping she will put me in her will • 3) I’d rather watch TV, but she needs the help • Morality is about inner motives for an action, not actions themselves regarded externally

6. The moral person • Resolution, commitment, “engagement” • To do what is right rather than what she wants to do. • Hence sacrifice is implied – for persons with ordinary desires. • It’s not easy to be moral

7. Homer rationalizes • Moe to Homer: Destroy my car so I can collect the insurance. • Homer 1) wants to please Moe; 2) wants to do what is right. • He turns to his idea of moral truth: Marge • An imaginary Marge in his mind says to him: the right thing to do is to destroy the car. • Homer’s “conscience” is satisfied

8. Having it both ways • 1) He must do what is right (duty) • 2) But he also wants to please Moe (desire) • He wants to have it both ways, and avoid inner conflict • But we see that this is an illusion. • Moral of the story: don’t do as Homer does.

9. False solutions to the dilemma • His method of solving the dilemma is comical—but also common • Rationalize, delude oneself • Other ways to do this? • Pick a moral authority who appeals to your desires and interests • Is all morality like this?

10. Moe has little problem • Moe is not so conflicted • He puts his own desires and interests first • = He is an egotist (me first, and to heck with others) • For him the issue of duty never arises

11. Homer and Marge: marriage on the rocks • Homer loves Marge, and wants to do what is right by his marriage and family responsibilities • but he is also impetuous and unrestrained—doing what appeals to him in the moment without thinking how this might affect her • After drinking too much, he makes a pass at Mrs. Flanders at a party • Marge: we need marriage counseling

12. General Sherman calls • Reverend Lovejoy holds marriage counseling at Catfish Bay • Homer wants to catch General Sherman, a legendary large fish • He can do his duty to Marge and what he wants! • She catches him sneaking off to fish in the morning: the stern face of duty • Homer chooses duty, renounces fishing for Marge

13. Homer gets what he wants anyway • Accidentally, Homer is pulled into a boat by the giant catfish • It’s not his fault! • He has the battle of a lifetime (Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea) • The Simpsons evokes high art and literature • If we put duty first, will our desires be satisfied anyway, as if by magic?

14. Homer chooses duty over desire • 1) Homer succeeds in catching General Sherman: • and imagines his fame when others see his prize • 2) but throws the fish back when confronted by a furious Marge • =the face of duty! (in the flesh, not imagined in his mind) • again, he chooses duty: “I gave up fame and breakfast for our marriage.”

15. Homer’s moral guidance • He lacks internal control over his desires • Moe’s proposition (moral role of Moe?) • Homer’s “conscience” is external: Marge • But this is here a trick of his subconscious, • which is governed by his desires, rationalizing them • In presence of the real Marge he goes straight • Promises not to fish • Throws General Sherman back • His morality is external • but personal, not based on external rules

16. Ned Flanders follows the moral rules • Ned Flanders has a marital problem with his wife: he catches her underlining in his copy of the Bible! • 1) No desires and interests of his own • 2) External basis of moral rules: divine commands written in the Bible • “External religion”

17. Morality of Flanders • Seems to be the “super-moral” person • Goody-goody • No conflict with desires • “Flanders has no life” (episode) • Compare why Flanders is in marriage counseling with why Homer is there.

18. Between Moe and Ned • Opposite poles or extremes • Pure egotism and pure moralism • 1) Desire without duty • 2) “Duty” (following externally based moral rules) without desire

19. Viva Ned Flanders • Ned reveals an embarrassing fact: he is actually 60 years old • Homer: you look so young because you’ve never had a life • Ned takes Homer as his guide to living a life • > A double wedding in Las Vegas

20. Morality of external religion • Commandments from external Source • Not internally based • Incentive of external religion is selfish • Heaven or hell? • External religion: treats people as children • That’s why Ned looks young

21. Morality and motivation • Why do the right thing? • Because it will bring a reward and avoid a punishment? • Because it is the right thing, whatever the consequences • External religion teaches egotistical motivation • Jessica Lovejoy reveals the meaning of this

22. Dark side of religion • Bart has a crush on Jessica Lovejoy, the minister’s daughter • So he thinks he has to go to Sunday school • But religion for her is a façade—she steals from the collection plate in church • “If you tell, no one will believe you. Remember I’m the sweet, perfect minister’s daughter, and you’re just yellow trash.”

23. Moral hypocrisy • Jessica plays the moral/religion game • She uses external appearances of the goody-goody child for selfish purposes • Such hypocrisy seems worse than straightforward, honest egotism (Moe) • But her father’s religion suggests this, because its morality is externally based

24. Bart’s morality • “Stealing from the collection basket is really wrong! Even I know that.” • How does he know? • Bart has limits—moral ones • He breaks some rules: external conventions • But he respects other, more serious ones: it’s wrong to steal • Not because the Bible says so

25. Morality and mores • Mores: conventions of proper behavior • Spike your hair; make super-loud noises, use rude words • Bart loves to break these. • Teacher to Bart: “There was no Roman god named Farticus” • Indicators of social class hierarchy? • Morality: deeper requirements of social life • Stealing from honest people • Bart respects these

26. Bart’s instinctive morality • Sources of Bart’s knowledge of morality? • Not a Book of Rules (Ned’s religion) • Not an authoritative person (Marge for Homer) • > Internal source, but not clearly thought out, like an instinct • “from his heart”

27. Bart’s guilty conscience • “Bart the mother” • He acts on impulse without foreseeing consequences (like father like son) • Accidentally kills mother bird • Becomes their mother: • he feels guilt after the fact, and tries to make recompense • He sees a duty here, and sacrifices his normal pleasures

28. Fickleness of public morality (that’s us) • Bart has fun like a healthy boy. “Good Bart!” • Bart accidentally kills the mother bird. “Bad Bart!” • (He aims his gun to miss, but the gun is crooked) • Bart wants to help the unborn baby birds. “Good Bart!” • The birds turn out to be lizards that kill lots of birds, but Mother Bart protects them. “Bad Bart!” • They are his “children”—it doesn’t matter that they kill other’s children • Other examples of this outlook? • The birds that the lizards kill are just those pesky pigeons. “Good Bart!”

29. Consequentialist, utilitarian morality • Morality of action is determined by its consequences. • The public (is that us?) judges this way—consequences for itself. • The morality therefore shifts with the unfolding consequences: bad, good, bad, good …

30. Lisa’s critique of Bart • “I don't get it, Bart. You got all upset when you killed one bird, but now you've killed tens of thousands, and it doesn't bother you at all.” • =Lisa looks at the principle of the action and demands consistency • I.e., logic, reason • She gives an argument for why Bart’s actions are not moral—i.e., are morally wrong. • What is Lisa’s moral approach?

31. Duties … to whom? • Is morality = altruism? • There are duties to self, as well as to others. • How can there be a “duty” to oneself? • Conventional mores: housewife, serving others • Feminism: duty to self as well • Standing up for oneself can be difficult • it goes against thousands of years of patriarchal society

32. Marge as feminist Conventional housewife Serves husband and children, That’s her (conventional) duty! Externally imposed morality but wants a larger life for herself Is that “selfish”? Or is there a duty to oneself? At first this is a desire, but then when difficulties emerge, it becomes a duty

33. Two radically different perspectives Marge’s first words on hearing Lionel’s job offer, and Lionel’s reply: Marge: Helping people find homes.. that must be really rewarding! Lionel: Yes, the money’s good, but the beauty is, you get to stay in the house until it's sold! Morality v. self-interest

34. Conflicting motives • Lionel’s motive: self-interest, to make money no matter what the cost • Marge’s motive: to help her friends, even if it means not to make a sale • She will not tell a lie to make a sale • But what about “bending the truth,” or hiding it?

35. Two mottos or maxims • Marge: “Well, like we say, ‘The right house for the right person!’” • Lionel: “Listen, it’s time I let you in on a little secret, Marge. The right house is the house that’s for sale. The right person is anyone.” • -> Moral hypocrisy • Moral slogans in advertising?

36. Problem of truth • Marge: “But all I did was tell the truth!” • Lionel: “Of course you did.” “But there’s the truth” (here he frowns and shakes his head negatively) “and the truth” (here he looks cheerful and shakes his head positively.) • > Lionel plays a game with the truth (hypocrisy)

37. Underlying social conditions • Competitive economy > bottom line • Individualism of “homo economicus” • Circumstances seem to require and reward self-interest or selfishness, and punish honesty, helping others (duty)

38. Marge’s choice (1) • 1) Be a “closer” and “bend” the truth • 2) Tell the whole truth and lose your job • But Marge believes she needs the job to prove her worth as a person • To realize a duty to self, can she betray her duty to others? • Problem of moral conflicts: I fulfill one duty and violate another

39. Marge’s choice (2) • She makes the sale to the gullible Flanders family by hiding the secrets of the house • Gruesome murder • She looks at her check • Symbol of success as a person? • But not at the expense of the truth, of friendship, of duty • She decides to tell the truth, and offers the check back

40. Is honesty the best policy? • The Flanders are delighted to hear about the murders • She tells the truth, and she gets the reward • Isn’t this how life should work? • Do what is right (because it is right) and get rewarded for it • = Justice

41. The Highest Good • 1) Do the right thing in order to get the reward • 2) Do the right thing because it is the right thing • And suffer for it? • And be rewarded for it? • Marge does the right thing, and gets rewarded

42. The Just Society • A society in which • people who do their duty are rewarded • And those who violate it are punished • Happiness, satisfaction of desire, is not the motive of duty • But the consequence of it • Highest duty (Kant) = to create a society in which this is the general rule

43. Exception that proves the rule • Marge does her duty, and gets rewarded • Conforms to her original intention • Belies Lionel’s bottom line philosophy • = This is an exception to the rule • Those who are successful are the ones with the “killer instinct” (says Lisa), such as Cookie

44. Marge does the right thing, and suffers for it • Reality intervenes in this idyll of Justice in the form of Homer • He crashes his car into the house and it is destroyed • Marge tears up the check she got from the Flanders • =She does the right thing, and suffers for it • Is this the way it has to be?

45. Marge is one of a kind. Why? • Marge does her duty • As a result she is fired • Marge: I'm sorry, Mr. Hutz, but I just can't lie to people! • Lionel: You're one of a kind, Marge!

46. The Just Society anyway? • But her family acclaims her: they love her all the more • Lisa: I'm proud of you, mom. You refused to compromise your integrity! • Lisa’s morality? • Bart: Yeah, you did the right thing... eventually. • Is the Simpson family an example of a just society?

47. Final comment • Marge: $300 unemployment check for doing nothing? “I feel like such a crook.” • What is the morality of our social welfare state? • Versus pure capitalism • = Unjust to get something for nothing? • Review the nature of the Highest Good