8/12/2019 Minority Report (2002)
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MINORITY REPORT (2002)
PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES: Future Technology, Determinism/Free ill
!e"#te, Crime control
#n! Ci$il %ights&
OTHE% FIL'S () 'O*IES () DI%ECTO% STE*E+ SPIEL(E%: Poltergeist
-.012, E&T&
The E3tr#4Terrestri#l -.012, 5ur#ssic P#r6 -.72, Schin!ler8s
List -.72, A&I& Arti9ici#l
Intelligence -1.2
'AI+ CHA%ACTE%S: 5ohn An!erton -Tom Cruise2, D#nny ;hitmore
-Collin F#rell2, L#m#r
(urgees -'#3 *on Sy!o2&
S)+OPSIS: In the ye#r 1#tion
6non #s Pre4Crime& This org#ni>#tion ?re!icts 9uture
mur!ers ith the hel? o9 @?re4cogs th#t
en$ision the mur!ers "e9ore they occur& The org#ni>#tion
comes un!er sus?icion "y the 9e!er#l
go$ernment hen they sen! D#nny ;hitmore to in$estig#te #n! shut
them !on i9 he 9in!s#nything 9ishy& Also, the system itsel9 is
ch#llenge! hen An!erton is en$isione! mur!ering #
m#n "y the n#me o9 @Croe& D#nny t#6es o$er, #n! ?ersecutes
the org#ni>#tion8s 9ormer le#!er&
The i!e# "ehin! the mo$ie e3?lores # "elie9 in the ?hiloso?hy o9
!eterminism -or #t le#st
com?#t#"lism2 in hum#n #ctions& In the en!, !eterminism is
su??ose!ly !e9e#te! hen L#m#r
(urgeese, one o9 the 9oun!ers o9 ?re4crime, must choose "eteen
shooting 5ohn -?re crime
or6s2 or choosing his @#ltern#te 9uture -?re crime
9#ils2&
DISCUSSIO+ BUESTIO+S:
.& The 9irst in!i$i!u#l #rreste! 9or the 9uture mur!er o9
his i9e seeme! to "e su99ering 9rom @#
short 9it o9 m#!ness #s Thom#s %ei! oul! !escri"e it,
consi!ering he !isco$ere! his i9e #s
che#ting on him& In to!#y8s society, e ten! to "e more
lenient 9or such # circumst#nce& ;e e$en
h#$e !i99erent sentences 9or the !i99erent situ#tions
surroun!ing # crime e3& 'ur!er ., 1, %#?e,
St#tutory r#?e& In the mo$ie, the ?unishment is the s#me 9or
#ll, isol#tion 9rom society, #n! li9e in
gener#l& Coul! # society to!#y #cce?t # st#n!#r! ?unishment
9or #ll crimes ;h#t #"out 9or
cert#in crimes, such #s mur!er
1& At the "eginning o9 the mo$ie, the !rug !e#ler #??e#rs
ith "oth eyes remo$e!, #n! s#ys @my
!#!!y #l#ys s#i! in the l#n! o9 the "lin!, the one eye! m#n is
6ing& +ot only is the 9#ct th#t his
eyes #re cut out signi9ic#nt, "ut ho signi9ic#nt is his cl#im Do
you thin6 its true Does it #??ly
to society to!#y, #n! i9 so, ho c#n it "e ?ro$en
7& The mo$ie ?l#y on the i!e# o9 !eterminism "eing true&
For inst#nce, the system o9 ?re!icting
mur!ers must hol! th#t #ctions #re !etermine! "y outsi!e 9orces
th#t c#n "e me#sure!& Hoe$er,
the !eterminist might h#$e # ?ro"lem& I9 #ll #ctions #re
!etermine!, then it !oesn8t 9ollo th#t
#ctions coul! "e controll#"le #n! there9ore ?unish#"le (ut they
!o in 9#ct ?unish the
?er?etr#tors ith # h#lo !e$ice th#t remo$es them 9rom e3istence
#lmost& Ho might #
!eterminist res?on!
=& The i!e# "ehin! Christi#nity is th#t o! is omni?otent,
th#t is he 6nos #ll& This seems to hint
th#t #ctions #re !etermine!, consi!ering he #lre#!y h#s # ?l#n
#n! he 6nos h#t it is& First o9
#ll, !oes this h#$e #ny "e#ring on the choices e m#6e Secon!,
!oes your @6noing o!8s@#ll 6noing #99ect the !ecisions e m#6e
