Rosarito, Zimar F. Ms. Gillian Marian H.

Garcia
BSA B225 ETHN01A
Final Requirement: Case Study

Watch the film, Fail Safe (1964), and comprehend its overarching ethical dilemma. In your final paper:
1. Highlight a scene or a series of scenes that substantially shows an ethical dilemma you wish to discuss.
2. Make sense of it using your chosen ethical theory or principle.

It was the twenty-third of December last year, around two hours past midnight, when I
decided to watch Fail Safe (1964) with an open mind. The first few seconds of the film made me
lower down the sound volume as a screeching noise tingles my ear drums; It was layered upon a
dream of a man observing a bull getting stabbed multiple times before the thunderous cheer of the
crowd. After a while, I got to learn that it was General Warren Black that had that particular dream,
as if it was foreshadowing something ominous.

To recap the sequence of events in the movie, as the climax of the story starts to build up,
the bombers of Group 6 were unable to acquire confirmation from headquarters due to the Soviets
jamming of the U.S. radio, so they resolved to obey orders without questioning. As a result, they
moved gladly toward the premeditated death of millions of innocent people.

This is the part where everything suddenly become serious—from theoretical discussions
of a few wise men to a practical application of ethics and morality of each individual; from the
President, down to his generals and subordinates. Bit by bit, a few of them attempted to impede
the orders of the President. But in the end, they can do nothing but follow his said orders.

The signals have been out, a group of bombers carrying 22-megaton of explosives are
heading straight to Moscow, Russia, all because of a genuine mistake. At first, I hypothesize that
we can relate this scenario to multitudes of ethical theories, like layers upon layers of principles
about the various ethical theories, but if I were asked to only choose the most prevalent theory for
me, my decision would be around Nietzsche’s philosophy, more specifically, the slave morality.

I have become too familiar with the phrase “the highest values devaluate themselves,” a
quote from the encouraging existentialist, Friedrich Nietzsche, in his attempt to remind and warn
us about the Death of God—for that if you value something so highly, that you figuratively put it
up on a pedestal, one could be gradually “enslaved” by said thing. I suppose that it is the very
thing that also led to the demise of those Group 6 bombers, as they were about to head into Russian
territory and eliminate millions of innocent lives. They value their job so highly, that they put it in
a metaphorical pedestal, to an extent that neither a call from the President nor beloved wife would
be able to convince them to act otherwise as they were trained religiously not to trust anyone once
they are up in the sky since they are aware that the enemy can mimic the voice of anyone.

One other thing to point out regarding the highest values devaluating themselves is how
the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) had put so much faith in their
military-grade technology at the time that no one could have foreseen the events that followed
after the fail-safe alarm has been deactivated, or so they thought.

Now that I think about it, this movie is somewhat a variety of the trolley problem at a
greater scale. The 22-megaton bombs are the trolley itself, the one person operating the trolley
representing the squad of U.S. bombers, while the five other people on the track that was about to
get hit by the trolley as the millions of innocent lives just waiting for their doom. Now, the
seemingly most logical and utilitarianist perception would be to sacrifice the trolley along with its
operator in exchange of the millions of people being alive. This is the decision almost everyone in
the film agreed to do, for the greater good, as if it justifies the means.

On the topic of Utilitarianism, I remember the discussion we had during the class debate
regarding war. The Deontological Ethicists claimed that Utilitarianism is the cause of all evil deeds
due to the excess amount of greed and happiness countries wanted to pursue, hence they declare
war and invade other territories. If only the two opposing sides, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. did not
initiate a cold war, no one could have thought of making technology that can ultimately put an end
in the world. If only people would not allow themselves to be blinded by the potential of nuclear
weapons for their own benefit, it would not have come to this.

Clearly, two standing ethical theories have been connected to this movie: the Slave morality
and Death of God from Nietzsche’s philosophy, as well as a hint of Utilitarianism at the end.
Taking full responsibility by shooting down the bombers caused by a mechanical failure, would
only lead us to focus on the consequences, hence I cannot judge the President’s decision to shoot
down the pilots of Group 6, but to order General Black to launch the same amount of bombs at the
heart of New York City is absolutely immoral, absurd, and desensitizing. It is as if he is quantifying
human life, like it is an eye-for-an-eye situation. When the government intentionally murders its
own citizens, no apology can be done to compensate its actions.

From Nietzsche’s Death of God to Utilitarianism, indeed, Fail Safe is a wonderful,

thought-provoking, yet terrifying movie to watch after midnight. I have never heard silence quite
deafening as I get to watch the planes disappear on the radar. Ultimately, overconfidence and
overreliance on technology can lead to our own downfall, and it cannot be emphasized more
greatly. Likewise, we must not value things so highly that we derecognize its faults and
imperfections, as we are doomed to witness a pedestal crumbling to the ground.