How Is Harrison Bergeron Unethical

Black or white, right or wrong we all act in a way which makes us feel good. For example, take a look at Harrison Bergeron he did things that made him feel good and he did them because he was born with these rights but, contract rights were implemented and he broke them. However, Harrison acted in ways that are unethical in this new American society in the year 2081. The laws of Harrison Bergeron were everyone was equal, nobody was smarter than anybody else, nobody was better looking, and everyone had to be physically and mentally equal. These laws were implemented because society was competing against each other and the government wanted people to be equal and stop the madness of competition. In order to be equal people who were good looking and smart had to wear handicaps and Harrison was both of these qualities. Harrison acted towards these laws by breaking out of jail and making a television appearance and declaring himself King. Harrison did this to show people that each individual identifies themselves as one. However, what Harrison did was unethical because he brought misery upon these people.

(Mark Dimmock) Kantian ethics is not the focus of the consequence but, rather focusing on completing the duty. Here is where Kantian Ethics can be seen in Harrison Bergeron. Kantian ethics has two branches the branch of Natural rights and Contract rights. Natural rights are the ones we are born with and contract rights are the ones society agrees upon. In “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Harrison acted morally unethical because he broke the contract rights the government set up and distorted the life of the people by the way they