Global Ethics Corner: When You Cross a Line

Oct 30, 2009

When balancing life's complex tensions, how do you know when you've crossed a line?

Life's tensions preoccupy a wonderful Taiwanese film, which demands we consider choices.

A professional tension shows in the title, "No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti," Spanish which captures perfectly the Taiwanese. The English, "I Can't Live without You," sounds too much like a love ballad, but there is no Spanish in the movie. Marketing device or artistic insight?

The film is about breaking and rescuing lives. A middle-aged man, Li Wu-hisung, does odd jobs at the port and lives with his daughter, Mei, in illegal housing. The two survive fairly happily, but the household is unregistered, and she should enter school. Helping Mei compromises them.

One tension is facing these small, daily tragedies. Will they loose each other? The rules exist for humane reasons. The bureaucrats personally have empathy. Should they bend or break the rules? Conversely, could their compassion become corruption?

Another tension regards risks that individuals or society assume. Li dives into the harbor's depths to repair ships, knowing his employer is careless. What of Mei if he doesn’t work, but what if Li dies? He has free universal healthcare, but no safety regulations. What are they owed, and what responsibility is his?

Finally Li endangers Mei in a desperate act. Does love and oppression justify this desperation? Also, what price must he pay?

The filmmakers' answers to tension are complex, a balance of both sides of the line.

What do you think? Can you balance these tensions or must you choose? When do you cross a line?

By William Vocke

You may also like

CREDIT: Abobe/hamara.

SEP 25, 2024 Article

Politico Op-Ed: Walking a Fraying Nuclear Tightrope

In a new op-ed, Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal argues that a recommitment to nuclear arms control is nothing short of a moral imperative.

Left to Right: Eddie Mandhry, Abiodun Williams, Joel Rosenthal. CREDIT: Juhi Desai.

JUL 23, 2024 Video

Global Leadership in a Turbulent Time: A Conversation with Professor Abiodun Williams

In this roundtable discussion, Tufts University's Professor Abiodun Williams speaks about the essential leadership traits needed to drive institutional change.

MAY 30, 2024 Article

A Reflection on Climate Mobility: Has Causality Lost Resonance?

With the recent European Court of Human Rights' ruling against Switzerland in mind, Dr. Mehreen Afzal discusses a legal pathway forward for climate-induced cross-border migration.

未翻译

此内容尚未翻译成您的语言。您可以点击下面的按钮申请翻译。

要求翻译