Abstract

The movie The Road, based on the novel by american writer Cormac McCarthy, proposes an ethical question in a post-apocalyptic scenario: what would be the moral canon that regulates human relations in the face of the collapse of capitalist culture? This question carries with it a critique of the preconventional morality of a consumer society and proposes an ethics chosen in limit situations based on the recognition of human dignity. This article analyzes this proposal from three elements: the recognition of values as moral contents that justify human choices; the understanding of ethics as a reflective dimension of morality, and the demand for the care ethics as an alternative to the individualistic ethics prevalent in consumer society.

Key words: Bioethics | Motion pictures as Topic | Narrative Ethics | Social Values | Community