Ballon, Karen Nicole G.

Ethics [W4D2]
3AD1 Sir Marc Aldous Baccay

UTILITARIANISM: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

1.
Personally, the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind promotes to its
audience both anti-utilitarianism and pro utilitarianism message. According to
Utilitarianism, happiness is our final end. Our actions should be measured in
terms of the happiness or pleasure that they produced. In the movie, when Joel
underwent a procedure in order to wipe his memories of Clementine, he did this
in order to avoid the pain he felt when he found out that Clementine wiped him
from her memories. Although this action supports the idea of utilitarianism
wherein you attain happiness by avoiding the pain, this idea is also supported
by egoism and not utilitarianism. Egoism means an individual ought, morally,
pursuing their own good. Arguably, if a memory-removal can function as a way
for some people to attain their happiness, it can be justified that this can be
required morally on utilitarian grounds. Utilitarianism means pursuing pleasure
and happiness, not just for ourselves, but for as many sentient beings as
possible.
Joel is not a utilitarian based on his actions because he decided to undergo a
memory-removal procedure without thinking carefully about the consequences
of it. Thus, in the middle part of the film he regrets it and started to resist of
getting his memory of Clementine from being wiped out. In Utilitarianism, a
utilitarian does their best to calculate the best possible consequences of the
choices that lay before them. Also, to gain knowledge of the truth is important
for all human beings. We have to face the hard truth of our situation in order to
grow. We have to experience uncomfortable things and have contact with
reality in itself. By doing these, we will attain the highest pleasures. Using the
memory machine will mean sacrificing knowledge of the truth for overall
happiness. In conclusion, if a human being minimized their painful memories,
they will not learn a valuable lesson from the past, limiting their perspective
and a chance to be wiser.
2.
Utilitarians will argue that the memory removal technology is morally good
because they believe that for an action to be morally correct it must maximise
overall happiness while avoiding suffering and pain. If the memory-removal
procedure can wipe away the pain of people to the point that it brings happiness,
then it is justified that this required on utilitarian grounds. The morality of the
memory removal hinges solely in the consequences, and if we can verify that those
consequences are beneficial overall, the technology is welcomed in the
Utilitarianism framework.
3.
Joel Barish, the main character of the film, has an honest passion and desire
to keep Clementine in his life and memories. I believe that that’s what he values
the most in the film. Throughout the movie, he started regretting having his
memories of Clementine be wiped out and tried to resist the procedure. Joel
showed the viewers what life is all about, surrounding yourself with people who
makes you happy. Emphasizing that higher pleasures are much more important to
achieve compared to lower pleasures.
Clementine Kruczynski is the love interest of Joel Barish. She can be
described as a carefree person yet under the mask, she’s insecure and is struggling
to adapt to her adult responsibilities. Clementine has no other values other than
staying in the present moment and maintaining her peace of mind. She’s also
impulsive. That’s why when she and Joel fought, she impulsively had her
memories of him erased. This part is an act of utilitarianism because she chose the
easiest way to move on from him by avoiding the pain. And without thinking of
the consequences of her actions, she still did it hurting Joel in the process, a
resistance to Utilitarianism.
Dr. Howard Mierzwiak is the founder of the memory erasing technology in
the film, Lacuna Inc., He’s intelligent and cares about his patients. He values his
relationships especially his family. He seems to be the man who has his life
together. Unfortunately, it was later revealed in the film that he had an affair with
Mary, his receptionist. He resisted utilitarianism by erasing Mary’s memories of
him as a way to fix his marriage. Obviously, an act of selfishness. He also uses his
invention to relieve people from their pain by erasing their memories. Which is an
act of Utilitarianism.
Mary Svevo is the receptionist at Lacuna, Inc. She values her relationship
with Dr. Mierzwiak because she’s infatuated with him. While drunk and high,
Mary quoted Alexander Pope’s poem to Dr. Mierzwiak saying “How happy is the
blameless vestal’s lot!/ The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine
of the spotless mind! Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d.” The quote is
basically saying that ignorance is bliss. An ironic scene since Mary’s memories
have been erased by Dr. Mierzwiak, both believing that it’s for the best for
everyone, not thinking about the consequences of her actions. This is contrasted by
Utilitarianism’s idea wherein “who hold that consequences of one’s actions are the
basis for judging an action as right or wrong. If an action brings eventual good or
happiness, a utilitarian would consider the action morally justified.” At the end of
the film, Mary quits her job and returned all the files of Dr. Mierzwiak’s patients.
As a utilitarian, truth is an instrumental value. Whether that truth is painful or not.
For them it means that there is far more harm in lying. Therefore, to tell the truth is
the right thing to do. It means in the pursuit of the greater good.
Stan is the technician who works at Lacuna, Inc. He values his relationship
with Mary because he has feelings for her. He resisted the Utilitarian rule in
regards to telling the truth. He didn’t tell Mary about the fact that her memory had
been wiped out in the past. Same goes to Patrick who uses Joel’s possessions to
impress Clementine.
4.
Personally, happiness is having peace of mind. Happiness is doing
something I love and staying true to my authentic self. It means staying in the
present moment and living life to the fullest. I don’t see it as a finish line but
rather, the process and journey of life itself. It’s being grateful and appreciating the
little things in life everyday. Happiness is giving love to others and receiving them
back. Happiness for me is creating memories and trying things I haven’t done
before. Happiness is evolving and growing into the best version of myself one day
at a time. Happiness is believing you have a reason to live.
According to John Stuart Mill, happiness is a pleasure and a freedom from
pain. Pleasure is the only thing and pain will make us worse. Mill explains that
there are two types of pleasures. Lower and higher pleasures. As stated in
Utilitarianism, “John Stuart Mill, sought to distinguish happiness from mere
sensual pleasure. His version of utilitarianism—eudaimonistic (from the Greek
eudaimonia, meaning “happiness”) utilitarianism—defines happiness in terms of
certain types of higher-order pleasures or satisfactions, such as intellectual,
aesthetic, and social enjoyments, as well as in terms of minimal suffering. That is,
there are two types of pleasures: the lower, or elementary (for example, eating,
drinking, sexuality, resting, and sensuous titillation), and the higher (for example,
high culture, scientific knowledge, intellectuality, creativity, and spirituality).
Though the lower pleasures are more intensely gratifying, they also lead to pain
when overindulged in. The spiritual, or achieved, pleasures tend to be more
protracted, continuous, and gradual.”
The happiness that I have stated are higher pleasures. These things give me
a sense of direction in life. It gives me a reason to live because I know now that
happiness is internal. The benefits of these pleasures are long lasting for me.

5.
Personally, I agree with Mary’s idea that memory wiping procedures will be
the end of mankind. Watching the film made me wish that these things don’t exist
in real life. Because if they will, everyone will be mediocre. They won’t be able to
achieve their highest potential. We can’t control the pain that comes into our life.
But we can have control on how we will take it. Life will never be easy. Therefore,
we have to find the silver lining. We must find the lessons and message behind our
pain. We must know how this pain will help us evolve and get the pleasures we are
seeking. I truly believe that the Universe is giving us these challenges in order to
be better and do better. If a person does not suffer, they would be blind. It’s the
hardships that make humans stronger and fearless. Not getting what you want will
make you appreciate what you already have.
I wouldn’t go through a memory wiping procedure even if the traumas I had
in the past gave me a lot of suffering and heartbreaks. Because I love how I turned
out today. I love who I’ve become because of these pains. I thought I couldn’t
handle them in the past but now, I’m much stronger and wiser. And I wouldn’t
change any other way. Pain is an essential part of life because that’s how I grow
and learn.