By Tala Abou Ali | Staff Writer

Featuring a professor of ethics and moral philosophy among its main characters, The Good Place does not shy away from its philosophical influences.

Following a group of seemingly unrelated characters as they navigate the afterlife, The Good Place examines multiple ethical theories, showing their inability to judge people with accuracy and empathy. The series ultimately aims to explore the most fundamental ethical question: What does it mean to live a good life?

In this article, I will examine how the three main ethical theories of the philosophical tradition appear in The Good Place, explaining how the show promotes a form of virtue ethics.

1. Consequentialism:

When our characters first step into the afterlife, they are told that they have reached the good place as a result of their morally rich lives. The show thus introduces an elaborate point system as a way to measure one’s moral quality throughout their life. Every action committed on Earth grants the individual a certain amount of points – positive or negative – proportional to its ethical value. All points are ultimately summed, leading to one’s total score, which is used as a way to rank individuals’ moral quality and subsequently decide whether they belong in the good place or the bad place.

But on what basis are points attributed to actions? Mainly based on their consequences. Such a system follows a consequentialist vision of morality, as it evaluates an action based on its effects on the outside world. As the series goes on, the characters discover that nobody has been accepted into the good place for a large amount of time, showing the impossibility to succeed in such a system. Due to the complexity of the world and its globalized economy, a seemingly innocuous action (such as purchasing a tomato) could lead to a large number of undesirable consequences – but is it fair to hold someone accountable for such unpredictable consequences?

The show disqualifies consequentialism as an efficient basis on which to judge individuals, as this theory places the locus of moral judgement on something that is out of one’s control, and that one might not even be conscious of. Although one’s actions might be the objective cause of another event, to hold the person responsible is questionable, and the series shows that it would not legitimately reflect how morally someone lived their life. Hence, we reflect on the show’s suggestion that one’s ethical value should depend on factors under their control, which leads us to examine the remaining two theories at play.

1. Deontology:

As a scholar and a fervent admirer of Immanuel Kant, the character of Chidi Anagonye is largely defined by his devotion to deontology. Deontology englobes ethical theories based on defined rules that regulate behavior. It suggests that actions hold inherent ethical value, and that to be an ethical person is to perform specific predefined actions – sometimes even regardless of the circumstances at play.

Chidi acts as a personification of the limits of deontology. Due to his devotions to immutable rules (such as Kant’s famous rule against lying), Chidi often finds himself in uncomfortable situations where his sense of ethics is challenged. Rules of conduct often contradict themselves in real-life situations, which puts him in a constant state of anxiety and indecision. Because he overthinks every one of his decisions (whether it is being honest with his friend or simply choosing a hat), the character finds himself unable to make a choice, which often leads him to inaction. His devotion to making the most ethical choice renders him unaware of the emotions of those around him, and Chidi often involuntarily hurts the people in his close circle. As deontology is only concerned with individual actions, Chidi is lead to focus his attention on little details in his behavior rather than the larger picture. For example, when he discovers that he is not actually in the good place, but rather in the bad place, his first hypothesis to explain the unethical nature of his life is his consumption of almond milk – which is obviously a minor factor in one’s life.

Through this character, The Good Place highlights the unrealistic nature of deontological ethical theories. Deontology promotes an inflexible, overly intellectualized vision of ethics. Real life situations are too complex for them to be solved by a set of preselected ethical rules; and by encouraging individuals to follow rules, deontology prevents critical and original thinking concerning matters of morality. This theory leads to confusion and indecisiveness, ultimately impeding a positive and productive outcome from a situation.

1. Virtue ethics:

As we have seen, The Good Place provides objections to both consequentialism and deontology. The show finds its final solution in a theory that does not concern itself with individual actions, but rather on development and self-growth – which is reminiscent of virtue ethics.

Virtue ethics claim that there is more to a person than a series of actions and behaviors, and that ethics should not be solely based on them. It suggests that individuals should be judged on their virtues and their qualities as people, which can be improved through an ethical education. Virtue ethics aims to improve individuals on a deeper level, targeting their very character traits and personality rather than their apparent behaviors. This theory, therefore, presents a more nuanced approach to morality, as it does not offer objective criteria to distinguish what is moral from what is not. It allows for more flexibility and personal reflection, and ultimately creates a more humane approach to ethics.

The Good Place presents a perfect thought experiment to illustrate the advantages of such a theory, as we witness the characters grow and evolve in their ethical journey throughout the show. At the beginning, we are introduced to four individuals with major character flaws. Eleanor is selfish and insensitive, Chidi is hyper indecisive, Tahani is obsessed with social recognition, and Jason regularly commits minor crimes. However, when the characters are exposed to those flaws and their implications, they all find a reason and desire to change. They all commit to study ethics at multiple instances in the show, and their constant support of one another leads them to improve. Ultimately, The Good Place suggests a simple idea: people need to be encouraged and believed in to become better.

The characters make use of this idea to design a new system to structure the afterlife. This system places individuals in a series of different situations based on their personal flaws, and people can be admitted into the good place only after they have developed an ethical character. The show thus presents an original interpretation of the afterlife, depicting it as an opportunity to improve, rather than a day of judgement. The Good Place portrays ethics as a collective endeavor rather than a strictly individual journey; ethics therefore gains in empathy, as it’s no longer a strict evaluation of people’s lives.