Gone Baby Gone Analysis

What would you do if you had the opportunity to take and raise an innocent little girl whose mother is a drug addict? That was the dilemma Doyle, a sheriff, faced in the move Gone Baby Gone. Two detectives, Patrick and Angie, are on the case of finding a missing little girl, and they finally stumble on her at Doyle’s house. Doyle had assisted with parts of the case, and had said nothing. He took the little girl, so that she would have a better life. In the end, Patrick turns Doyle over to the authorities, and the little girl is returned to her mother. Who was moral in this situation? Patrick or Doyle? Patrick is a perfect example of Kant’s standard for morality by his action from and in accord with duty. In this essay, Kant’s theory will be explained and then applied to the actions of both Patrick and Doyle.

Kant explores the good will which acts for duty’s sake, or the sole unconditional good. A good will is not good because of any proposed end, or because of what it accomplishes, but it is only good in itself. The good will that is good without qualification contains both the means and the end in itself.

People naturally pursue the good things in life and avoid the bad. Kant argues that these good things are either means to a further end or good ends in and of themselves. Next, Kant says that means can be good as means to one end, yet bad in a different end.

Kant states that for a good to be good without qualification, it must be good in and of itself. Next, Kant argues that the good that is good without qualification cannot be a means to a further end. This can be described as an absolute good in and of itself, as it leads to no further end. The action is good in-itself.

Furthermore, Kant argues that these...

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..., nurturing environment. If Patrick did not act in this way, by default he would be supporting a maxim that allowed all people to take children away from their parents, which cannot be universalized, as the structure of society and families everywhere would vanish. He acted out of and in accord with duty to return Amanda to her mother. Amanda rightfully belongs with her mother, and Patrick chose to turn Doyle in to make things right. He acted from real experience and without regard for a further end. I admire Patrick, as I would have done the same exact thing. Amanda belongs with her mother, even if her mother may not be the best. Also, Amanda’s grandmother and possibly other relatives could help in her upbringing, in spite of her mother’s drug addiction. Kidnapping is not the best alternative. What would the world be like if we all thought like Doyle?