Seeing the Light

In a visual culture such as ours, movies represent a compelling and surprisingly effective vehicle for ethical reflection. Through the stories that unfold on the big screen - everything from The Wizard of Oz to the Bourne trilogy - viewers can gain profound insights into the moral dimension of their own lives. By a close analysis of a variety of popular movies, foreign films, and documentaries, Seeing the Light: Exploring Ethics Through Movies represents an innovative approach to the study of ethics and the development of moral reasoning skills.

Initial chapters focus on the human condition as a springboard for ethical reflection, followed by coverage of how seven major ethical theories can provide a framework for analyzing movies for their moral message. Later chapters reveal how movies help us reflect on ethical decision–making. A diverse range of classic and contemporary films are woven throughout the text to illustrate each argument.

Filled with illuminating insights and thoughtful reflection, Seeing the Light reveals an ethical microcosm in the world of film that can help us think more clearly about the choices we face and decisions we make in the real world. Wanda Teays is a professor of philosophy and ethics at Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles, where she is also Chair of the Philosophy Department. She is the author or editor of numerous books and articles on ethics, global justice, and critical reasoning, including Bioethics and Culture; Bioethics, Justice and Health Care and Second Thoughts: Critical Thinking for a Diverse Society.