Ethical Egoism In The Movie Rain Man

Ethical Egoism is a simplistic approach to morality which reduces notions of justice and ethics to mere self-indulgent desires. This philological approach asserts that an action which satiates an individual 's desires or inclinations is right, while an action that goes against an individual 's wishes is categorically immoral. In sum, Ethical Egoism puts the individual 's wants, interests, and aspiration at the forefront of morality. The movie Rain Man is riddled with instances and scenarios of the protagonist Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) employing Ethical Egoism. In fact, the entire premise of the movie and the development of the plot rely on Charlie continually using Ethical Egoism to make decisions. One such example is when Charlie takes

Moral relativism as a decision-making process found in small doses in the movie but functions as an important tool for character development. Moral relativism is a normative philosophical approach which defines morality as the conventional standards that a particular group or community have set for themselves. Doing what is "right" according to this theory is abiding by the criteria set by one 's community, while doing what is "wrong" is going against or violating the principles the group has set for itself. Rain Man employs subtle use of moral relativism, but the immense impact relativism has on the characters is evident. Raymond 's routine, diet, clothing, and aspect of his behavior have all been cultivated at the mental institution that raised him for decades. Raymond refuses to deviate from his dining plan served at the institution, demanding that he have 8 fish sticks and orange soda on Tuesdays, declines to wear different clothing than what was provided at the institution, insisting his boxer shorts be bought from K-Mart in Cincinnati, and resorting to the recitation of baseball terminology to calm himself when his needs are not sufficiently met - a practice he developed at his institution. Raymond 's uncompromising practices and coping mechanisms were developed in the institution he