Assignment for M. Forman’s movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
For your final paper choose two of the three topics presented below:
Hobbes and Rousseau have opposed models for understanding human nature. Their models are animated by the different understandings of place and role of power, violence, desires, and knowledge in forming of ‘normal (civilized)’ state. To Hobbes’ model of ‘knowledge is power’ Rousseau opposes ‘power is knowledge.’ Choose one of these models to explain the characters’ interactions, group formation, struggle for domination, sources of violence and usage of violence. Explain your reason for choosing Hobbes’ or Rousseau’s model for your paper.
Nietzsche offers two models for understanding morality: Good versus Bad; and Evil versus Good. Choose two characters from the movie whose actions and the explanation of their actions could be interpreted according to the first model (Good versus Bad), and two characters whose actions and the explanation of their actions could be interpreted according to the second model (Evil versus Good). In each case, explain your choice. Support your choice with episodes from the movie.
Reading Fromm, we learned to distinguish authentic, true disobedience from false disobedience and to distinguish heteronomous obedience from autonomous obedience. Analyze the movie from Fromm’s perspective. Choose at least one character who represents true disobedience, one character who represents false disobedience, one character who represents autonomous obedience and one character who presents heteronomous obedience in the movie. Explain and justify your choice by using Fromm’s arguments and episodes from the movie.
Using philosophers’ arguments analyze the characters’ actions, their motivations, the consequences of their actions, and their effects on other people, including their relationship to authority and the mental institution.
Make sure that you are analyzing the characters and not simply describing them. Your essay should not be a summary of the movie’s plot.
Requirements:
1. 4-5 pages.
2. Double spaced, 12 Times New Roman fonts, standard margins.
