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Deontological Ethics in Kevin MacDonald’s Last King of Scotland
Deontological ethics implies that the morality of an act depends on the act’s adherence to a set of rules rather than the consequences of the action. The film ‘The Last King of Scotland’ presents several ethical issues involving Nicholas Garringan and Idi Amin, a general of Uganda who becomes the president. One interesting aspect that simulates deontological ethics is the relationship between Idi Amin and Nicholas, who becomes the president’s doctor. Nicholas stands out as a man who upholds duty while downplaying the consequences of his actions.
Nicholas is assigned the critical task of taking care of General Amin’s health. Idi Amin has a soft spot for the Scottish, influencing the close relationship between Idi Amin and Nicholas. The country, however, goes into turmoil as Amin continues to torture rebels and his followers. Nicholas does not like the violence and changes his view of Idi Amin. However, he continues to improve the health of the dictator. He eventually sympathizes with the president and reasons that sabotaging any revolution serves the greater good. As implied in deontological ethics, the focus on duty over consequences plays out when the doctor continues to observe the general’s health. Nicholas religiously ensures the general is healthy as the personal doctor. The general, however, becomes more paranoid of those around him and continues to torture and kill his followers. Nicholas’s actions embody deontological ethics that upholds a sense of duty regardless of the consequences (Paquette et al. 32). Nicholas can suspend his obligations because of the general’s actions and possibly save a lot of people by allowing the president’s health to deteriorate. Before her illegitimate affair with the general’s wife, Nicholas had the opportunity to betray the president’s trust and poison him when giving him medicine. Nicholas, however, upholds duty as implied in deontological ethics and facilitates the death of more than 300000 Ugandans. If he had emphasized the consequences of his actions rather than duty, he might have saved thousands of citizens.
Nicholas comes to view Idi Amin as the monster he is when he starts an affair with one of Idi Amin’s wives, Kay. Nicholas tries to go back to Scotland, but Amin refuses and has Nicholas’ house raided by his goons and his passport stolen. Nicholas panics when he realizes the difficulty of rejoining his country, and he is given the duty of killing Idi Amin by his nation. The nation is a higher command from Nicholas’s point of view, and the order supersedes Idi Amin’s instructions.
Nicholas is distraught by the turn of events which pushes him to carry out his responsibility to the Republic of Scotland. He unsuccessfully tries to poison Idi Amin. Nicholas gives Amin medication for his headache. Amin’s goons find out about his scheme and torture him mercilessly. Nicholas carries out his duty to the Scottish flag at the expense of his own life. He is saved by a fellow doctor and manages to leave Scotland. The film portrays Nicholas as a man who respects duty. The dilemma of deontological ethics plays out in the varying consequences of adhering to duty. At first, adherence to duty as a doctor had negative consequences where many people died. In the second instance, adhering to commands from his homeland leads to negative consequences on his health but positive consequences for the revolution against Idi Amin.
Works Cited
Paquette, Michael, Erich J. Sommerfeldt, and Michael L. Kent. “Do the ends justify the means? Dialogue, development communication, and deontological ethics.” Public Relations Review 41.1 (2015): 30-39.