Summary
The Korean film "Parasite" is a darkly humorous drama from director Bong Joon-ho about a poor family who live in a damp, dirty basement and struggle to make ends meet. Their son gets a job as a domestic helper and uses his ingenuity to get his family, one by one, jobs into the home of a wealthy family. This wealthy family has a strict father, a gentle mother and two children. But the connection between these two families soon becomes dangerous and complicated, and as the poor family gradually discovers some of the rich family's secrets, they are drawn into a terrible conspiracy.
1. I Would Follow My Conscience
We should follow our inner moral code to make decisions. In this case, we may consider whether it is in our conscience to improve our social status by cheating. Poor families Kim may feel morally confused because they know their actions are wrong, but their greed and desire for a better life make it hard for them to resist the temptation.
2. I Do Not Know What I Would Do
If we adopt this ethical stance, then we may feel helpless and confused as to how we should act. For example, in the movie, when the owner of a wealthy family discovers that a family of parasites is lurking in her home, she may feel very shocked and confused about how to deal with the problem. She may not be sure how she should deal with the parasite family and also how the problem will affect herself and her family.
3. I Would Do Whatever Would Improve My Own Situation
In the movie, some characters act immorally because of greed and selfishness, such as cheating and exploiting others for their own benefit. For example, when the father of a poor family decides to impersonate a rich family's driver, his intention is to gain more money and opportunities to improve his own situation and that of his family. However, this behavior is unethical because he deceives the rich family and violates their rights, while not realizing the unpredictable consequences that may result from such behavior.
4. I Would Do What God or the Scriptures Say Is Right
In the movie, when the rich wife realizes the secret of the poor family's father, she decides to keep the secret and offers him a job. This behavior is in line with the Christian doctrine of charity and benevolence, and she does the right thing by following her own moral principles.
5. I Would Do Whatever Made Me Happy
The "parasite family" improves their standard of living and well-being by cheating and exploiting the property of others. They do not consider that their actions may cause harm to others, nor do they consider whether their actions are ethical.
6. I Would Follow the Advice of an Authority, Such as a Parent or Teacher
The fathers of the “parasite family” raised their children to cheat and exploit others. They seem to have been indoctrinated from an early age with this morality as a legitimate way to survive. In this case, the moral dilemma may lie in how to handle the advice and education from authority figures. If we only blindly follow the advice of authority figures without examining whether the advice is sound and ethical, then we may mislead ourselves and others, as the parasite family in the movie did. Conversely, if we completely ignore the advice from authority figures, we may lose the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience from them.
7. I Would Do What Is Best for Everyone Involved
The conflict and confrontation between the two families led to tragic consequences. If we adopt this moral position, then what we must seek is the solution that is best for all. However, in this case, it is very difficult to find a solution that can benefit everyone, because the interests of the two families seem to be against each other. For example, for the “parasite family“， they see their entry into the rich family to improve their standard of living and social status, while for the rich family, they see the” parasite family “as illegally breaking into their home and endangering their lives and the safety of their property.
In the scene where the former housekeeper comes back to retrieve something she left behind in the basement, she discovers the secret bunker where the rich family's former housekeeper's husband had been living. The decision in this situation would be whether to reveal the existence of the hidden bunker to the rich family. From a moral perspective, the right decision would be to tell the rich family about the hidden bunker. While it may be tempting to keep the secret and possibly use the bunker to one's advantage, it is unethical to hide such an important detail from the people who own the house. By hiding the existence of the bunker, you would be participating in the same deceitful and manipulative behavior as the Parasite family, and you would be violating the trust of the rich family who employed you.
My moral compass follows the principle of being honest for everyone. Because honesty is the foundation for building trust and respect. When we are honest in our dealings with others, we can build good relationships and maintain moral and ethical consistency. In addition, honesty can help us avoid unnecessary trouble and consequences.
