PHL 218 Module Four Short Paper Guidelines and RubricOverview When we consider global ethical issues that need to be addressed, it is important to remember that every issue has been shaped by history.

Ethical Bias and Cultural Values in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

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INSTITUTION: Southern New Hampshire University

COURSE CODE: PHIL- 218

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DATE OF SUBMISSION: 07/20/2025

Ethical Bias and Cultural Values in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The 2000 movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed by Ang Lee, presents an ethical dilemma that primarily draws on Eastern philosophical traditions, specifically Confucianism and Daoism. The Eastern ethical vision, which focuses on harmony, self-restraint, and respect for hierarchy, as well as fulfilling responsibilities to others, lies at the forefront of the morality of the story. Nonetheless, traces of Western individualism creep in, especially in the young character Jen, who is dissatisfied with social norms and rules and yearns for personal freedom.

There is a bias that influences the characters, especially cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias. Li Mu Bai, the honorable warrior, experiences cognitive dissonance as he never acknowledges his intense love for Yu Shu Lien, allowing moral goodness and tradition to prevail. According to Shepherd (2018), cognitive dissonance occurs when citizens hold two opposing beliefs, creating inner tension. Mu Bai holds on to the morality of restraint and honor, but he also desires romantic satisfaction. These two conflicting desires cannot be reconciled due to his bias towards Confucian ideals, which proves to be the tragedy in the story. Similarly, Jen tends to confirmation bias as she seeks to find facts to support her rebellion. She understands her experiences through her preconceptions that freedom is better than arranged marriage and living to match the social expectations, no matter how her decisions make her suffer.

The cultural morals shape the moral choices of every character. The concept of li (ritual and propriety) in Confucianism is evident in the loyalty to profession and tradition, which places people in situations like that of Shu Lien, against her happiness. The philosophical approach of Mu Bai towards combat and life embodies the Daoist ideas of humility and harmony with nature. Contrast is presented in the character Fern, who is from the same culture but adopts values more in line with Western beliefs of individuality and self-achievement. She has a lesser collective morality and a more self-centered morality, one of the displays of the conflict between different cultures' ideas in a single story.

Interpreting the meaning of cultural ethics and prejudice sheds more light on the extent of moral dilemmas in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Eastern ethical theories emphasize the importance of harmony within a group and respect for authority. In contrast, Western ethical theories prioritize individual freedom and rights, as illustrated in the SNHU Ethics video. It is through the decisions of the characters and the twists of fate that result from these opposing values and biases that a potent inquiry is made into what it means to be ethical in a diverse world. This contemplation supports the argument presented by Shepherd (2018) that to make fair and proper ethical decisions, one must be aware of one's own biases and the cultural contributions.

References

Shepherd, J. M. (2018). 3 kinds of bias that shape your worldview [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/j_marshall_shepherd_3_kinds_of_bias_that_shape_your_worldview

Southern New Hampshire University. (n.d.). Ethical ideologies: Western, Eastern, and Indigenous Tribal [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LBfJn24vUY

May, L. (1996). Biases and moral education. Ethics, 106(3), 538–557. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40666541