Movie: 13 days (John F. Kennedy) and the Duty Triangle - Essay Example

able to utilize principle and consequence based ethics, as he is behaving in the manner that society would expect of him and he is worried about the consequences of his actions because of how potentially deadly the situation was. John F. Kennedy is not portrayed to be worried about the virtuous part of the duty triangle in this film because the fate of the world is at stake. Since his actions are so important to the future of the entire world, he cannot be particularly worried about the type of person that his actions make him out to be.

For example, Kennedy would surely order someone to be killed if it would eliminate the threat of future attacks. While this is something that would be expected of him in this situation, it is not necessarily a virtuous way in which to behave. Kennedy is also responsible for threatening the Soviet government on a regular basis. This includes pointing weapons at their country, which could lead to the slaughter of millions of people. This is another action that is not virtuous because it is putting the lives of millions of American and Soviet people at risk in something that is basically like a game of chicken.

Neither of the leaders wants to give up his stance because it could lead to that side’s political ideologies disappearing. John F. Kennedy certainly does not act in a virtuous manner during this movie because he is faced with too many obstacles from outside sources that he must deal with in a harsh, and possibly irrational, manner. Kennedy is not portrayed as a virtuous character over the course of this film because his job description does not give him the opportunity to do so. Kennedy is, however, able to exercise principle-based ethics in this film, as he is constantly doing what is expected of him by American society.

Kennedy ponders every decision he makes thoroughly because he does not wish to make a mistake that will negatively influence the course of the Cold War. He must be very smart with his actions because one