The Humanities, Research Paper Example

The effect of the humanities on our cultural morals is often a relationship of tension: many times, works of art from all different forms of media are criticized for failing to live up to some type of moral obligation. At the same time, these same works of art can be criticized for subsequently contributing to the degeneration of these same moral obligations, for example, emphasizing violence and revenge. However, even in these works of art one can see that questions of morality are central: it is only a superficial view that reduces a film such as Tarrantino’s Django Unchained (2012) to gratuitous violence. Rather, there is a complex series of questions that emerge in such films, arguably related to how social norms shift over time. Accordingly, such a film, despite its violence, confronts us with questions of what exactly constitutes morality in a given historical and social context.

This point becomes clear when we consider that the setting of Django Unchained is that of an American in which slavery was still legal. Here, there are two types of social norm operative: one that merely accepts the social norm and one that challenges the social norm. The social norm in question is that of slavery: Django’s bloody revenge against slave owners can be viewed from our contemporary period as perhaps a just act of revenge.

However, from the time period in question, slavery was essentially legal: it was an institution that, although it had its opponents, was also supported by large swathes of the population. Furthermore, American law was interpreted by those in favor of slavery as supporting its existence. Here, therefore, is a clear question of morality: there are certain types of morality, which are entirely consistent with social norms. (Janaro & Altshuler, 2011 p. 212). Therefore, from this perspective, supporting slavery in this case could be considered entirely moral: it is following the law, socially expected standards of behavior, etc.

A film such as Django Unchained therefore forces us to consider a moral choice: should we merely accept all our social norms as they currently stand? With hindsight, it is easy to see the brutality of slavery. However, this is a historically relative conception. The violence of Django Unchained in this sense becomes a critique of social norms in general, forcing us to re-think our position in relation to dominant social discourses. The moral choice of revenge that drives the film’s narrative in this regard is really symbolic of a deeper choice: it forces the viewer to consider the extent to which he or she may be merely unconsciously social norms which, when held up to closer scrutiny, would seem to be oppressive and tyrannical once we take the proper distance to them. It becomes a “technique of living” (Janaro & Althshuler, 2011) by asking us to question forms of how we live.

A film such as Django Unchained therefore is a particularly compelling example of a work of art that questions moral choice, precisely because it questions how morality is itself structured in relation to society. On a superficial viewing, the viewer only sees Tarantino’s portrayal of revenge and murder. However, the film also takes a broader view of morality: one could easily imagine that if this film was made one hundred years ago, that Django would precisely be the antagonist as opposed to the protagonist.

Does this mean that our social norms have now become more ethical? When one looks at the growing class equality and poverty in America, without much mainstream resistance, it would appear that this is not the case. And this is why Django Unchained becomes so valuable as a question of moral choice: it in a sense transcends its own particular historical context, i.e., the question of slavery, and asks us to consider some of the negative social norms that we perhaps are not even aware of. Here, the humanities become a form of vivid “social critique” (Janaro & Altshuler, 2011, 145) applicable to all forms of social discourse.

References

Janaro, R. & Altshuler, T. (2011). The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living. New York: Longman.