preview

Should Batman Kill The Joker Research Paper

Better Essays

Often times in stories, the plot is good versus evil. Those who are familiar with the Batman series know that Batman, the hero, is frequently in a battle with the Joker, a murderous psychopath. Since the Joker has the potential to endanger and end the lives of several innocent individuals, some feel that Batman should kill the Joker for the sake of everybody’s safety. However, others see this act as a way to ruin Batman’s reputation. Batman should not kill the Joker according to virtue ethics because the Joker is mentally ill, Batman’s parents were murdered, and everybody in Gotham City relies on Batman to do the right thing morally and ethically.
It would be wrong if Batman were to murder the Joker based off of virtue ethics. The Encyclopedia of Ethics analyzes how virtue ethics focuses on an individual’s character and feelings rather than rules and consequences. According to the Encyclopedia of Ethics, “first, virtues are dispositions not only to act, but also to judge and to feel in …show more content…

I believe that it is important to do what is morally right and that we should look at the whole picture. In the case of Batman killing the Joker, it is necessary to look at how it would affect the feelings and functionality of all - Batman and the people of Gotham City. In the end, Batman did not kill the Joker because part of being a hero is doing the right thing and that includes not sacrificing his virtues. If he sacrificed his virtues and went with the Utilitarian method of just murdering the Joker, then he would rather be taking the easy way out of the situation as well. Although the antagonist would be exterminated, that does not mean all things bad would suddenly be gone, as I mentioned earlier. Ultimately, virtue ethics is about integrity, and Batman took the honest path of sticking with what is moral right and not breaking past what he believes

Get Access