ETHICS OF "THE GODFATHER"
Football fans were shocked one night when they heard star quarterback and ESPN commentator, Joe Theismann, describe the conversation he had with his soon-to-be-ex second wife, explaining why he had the affair with another woman, which ended his marriage. He said crudely, "Hey, God wants Joe Theismann to be happy!" This may have been funny to some in the audience, had it not been so cruel and typical of the tragic end of so many marriages and families. Nevertheless, it fits a pattern of philosophic belief which, whether people are aware of it or not, is often the governing principle that dictates their actions, regardless of any stated religious or ethical beliefs to the contrary.
For many, what is moral, is what makes the most people happy, which is known as utilitarianism, a theory having universal appeal and forms the basis for our democratic, “majority rules”, system of government. While we may aspire to such a lofty goal and ideology, as human beings we often fall short and settle for a darker and more selfish motivation for our actions; i.e. “What is moral, is what makes ME happy!” This is the overriding principle of a theory known as Ethical Egoism, the claim that, “The morally right act is the one that serves my best interests.”
Perhaps no pop-culture film captures this better than the 1972 classic, “The Godfather”. The Corleone family portrayed in this epic mobster trilogy, participate in Catholic mass, cross themselves, go to confession, and profess legitimate faith in Jesus Christ, but all the while, they are; stealing, lying, cheating, fornicating, killing, maiming, and prostituting women to the very pinnacle of organized crime and mayhem. Now you might just say, “Oh, they are just a bunch of hypocrites!”, but it goes much, much deeper than that. They genuinely think that what they are doing is right, moral, and upstanding work, worthy of honor and respect.
Again, in Ethical Egoism, it is necessary and sufficient for an action to be morally right, only when it maximizes one's self-interest. In the first Godfather film, as well as the sequels, this is never directly promoted or even suggested, but the actions of the members of the family business make it abundantly clear that it is the case. While they give lip service to Christian piety, morality, and ritual, their conduct and behavior tells and entirely different tale.
At one point in the story, the Godfather himself, played by Marlon Brando, seems to take the moral high ground by making an ethical distinction between what forms of crime his family would and would not be willing to commit for profit; i.e. gambling, prostitution, illegal alcohol sales; bribery of judges, politicians, and law enforcement, would all be considered morally acceptable crimes, but dealing and trafficking in narcotics is crossing the line into immoral behavior. There are no religious or ethical systems known to man in which these distinctions would be considered compatible, especially not in the Catholic tradition, but ethical Egoism, i.e. do only what is in your best interest to do, whatever you may deem that to be at the time, is the only exception to that rule.
At one point in the story, the Godfather himself, played by Marlon Brando, seems to take the moral high ground by making an ethical distinction between what forms of crime his family would and would not be willing to commit for profit; i.e. gambling, prostitution, illegal alcohol sales; bribery of judges, politicians, and law enforcement, would all be considered morally acceptable crimes, but dealing and trafficking in narcotics is crossing the line into immoral behavior. There are no religious or ethical systems known to man in which these distinctions would be considered compatible, especially not in the Catholic tradition, but ethical Egoism, i.e. do only what is in your best interest to do, whatever you may deem that to be at the time, is the only exception to that rule.
Don Corleone estimated that it was not in the best self-interest of the family business to get mixed up in the trafficking of narcotics, and therefore he said no. Not because of a predetermined set of moral standards and ethical guidelines from his Catholic upbringing. Michael Corleone, the successor to the throne, deemed that it was morally acceptable to murder all of his potential threats and rival gang leaders, at the very same moment that he was taking vows, swearing oaths, renouncing evil, and accepting Christ, in order to become the Godfather of his nephew. Just hours later he had the father of that same child strangled with piano wire.
He did this, not because the Bible told him to, or catholic doctrine demanded it, but because it was in his best self-interest to do so. However, while the Bible did not dictate his actions, it certainly predicted them saying, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts. (NKJV Prov 21:2)” So, unlike other ethical theories, philosophers cannot take full credit for developing this one, only for labeling it, because it is as old as man himself!
By Pastor Glen Mustian
Works Cited:
New King James Version. The Holy Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishing. Print. 2002.
