The Burning Monk Summary

A Visual Analysis of The Burning Monk
In Malcome Browne’s photo, The Burning Monk, the ethical issue raised is the means and extent of protest that is acceptable. The monk, Thích Quảng Đức, wholehearted believed in the freedom to practice Buddhism and was willing to sacrifice himself to garner attention. However, many people would argue that his form of protest was too radical and not ethical due to the self-immolation. Regardless of how radical and shocking a protest may be, or how uncomfortable it makes people feel, it is still just if it is in service of a good cause. After all, the more radical your protest, the more radical the response; Thích Quảng Đức hoped for there to be a massive and radical response to his protest so he acted accordingly.

Firstly, an ethical choice present in the image is whether suicide in service of a cause is ethically righteous. He felt that his cause was important enough for self-sacrifice; if the cause is worthy, any method of support or protest is moral. Furthermore, ethical choices are explored further in Browne’s photo through the location of the monk’s suicide; the middle of a busy intersection. Thích Quảng Đức did not intend to harm anyone through his protest, but rather to agitate and enlighten people; his cause was virtuous and so was his protest. Thích Quảng Đức’s original purpose also plays a role in the innate righteousness of his protest; “The self-immolation was done in protest to the South Vietnamese Diem regime’s pro-catholic policies and discriminatory Buddhist laws”(Historical Photos). From the monk’s point of view, he was doing something he viewed as overtly morally just; his method of protest was moral from his position. Thích Quảng Đức’s form of protest was noble due to the circumstances surrounding it and his

Primarily, the image shows that the monk clearly is performing his protest in the middle of a busy intersection with many people. Thích Quảng Đức chose this location in order to maximize his impact; a clear indicator of his decision making and planning. In the picture by Browne, the monk stays completely still and peaceful throughout his burning. Thích Quảng Đức had made the conscious decision to remain steadfast and unflinching in order to further increase the power and meaning of his message. The pre-planning of the protest before it transpired also shows the thought and decisions that went into his self-immolation; “At that point the monks were telephoning the foreign correspondents in Saigon to warn them that something big was going to happen”(Witty). Thích Quảng Đức’s planning shows how he made the decision to have as far reaching an impact as possible. The Burning Monk image by Browne, shows Thích Quảng Đức’s rigorous decision making process and the thoughts that went into planning his