The central action of
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Walking Dead
dbentley666 — 6 months ago(September 26, 2025 07:14 PM)
The central action of
The Last of Us
involves Joel killing a bunch of Fireflies who want to harvest Ellie's brain in order to create an antidote to the plague-like disease that is killing people and turning them into "the infected."
Joel has a hard ethical choice (this is similar to Michael Sandel's discussion of ethics in his book
Justice
). He loves Ellie, but the Fireflies believe that they have the right to kill Ellie, since they will be saving the human race. Is Joel's love of Ellie equivalent to the Fireflies desire to save the race? Or is he being selfish (as Ellie herself feels, when she learns about what he did)?
According to Sandel's scheme, Joel would be a Kantian (you must never perform an unethical act, no matter what the circumstances); the Fireflies would be utilitarians (the greatest good of the greatest number is the ethical principle at work). Sandel suggests that these are the two most familiar ethical drives at work in the contemporaray world.
The series refuses to blur the issue by indicating that Ellie might die during the operation and the brain tissue would not successfully generate the cure. Joel himself says that the operation would generate a cure.
I thought it was an interesting dilemma. We tend ((I did) to root for Joel, because we like people who love passionately (Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend). Plus, Joel is played by Pascal, and we think of him as the (good) hero.
Is there much to be said for the other side? Would you sacrifice your son or daughter (or parent) if such an action would save the world? I, personally, wouldn't, but I'd admire people who would take such a Godlike view of things….. -
Donna2.0 — 6 months ago(September 26, 2025 08:11 PM)
Ellie wasn't even Joel's daughter. Plus Ellie is a spoiled bitch. If her purpose was as a donor to save the world then it should have happened. How can Joel's make the decision to condemn the world to a plague all so that he could use Ellie as a replacement for the daughter he lost to the initial infection?
Put a muzzle on Tits Malone, PI -
dbentley666 — 6 months ago(September 26, 2025 09:45 PM)
He doesn't condemn the world to a plague. The plague happened, and he refused to let her die to save the remnant. There's a difference.
If every human life is sacred, then you cannot sacrifice an individual, even to save the world. -
Donna2.0 — 6 months ago(September 26, 2025 11:14 PM)
Oh please. Don't make me laugh. His motivation is not what you think. He simply used Ellie as a replacement daughter. Sad part is that the child he lost was a more beautiful human being than Ellie could have ever been.
And Joel's death was much deserved.
I still love you though. Sorry if I make you angry. Bye
Put a muzzle on Tits Malone, PI