Morality Tropes: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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What is morality? Morality is the system of good and evil and all the shades of gray that come in between.
What is morality? Morality is the system of good and evil and all the shades of gray that come in between.


[[The Good Guys Always Win|Good always triumphs in the end, right]]? [[The Bad Guy Wins|Well, not always]]. The [[Balance Between Good and Evil]] gives many villains loopholes to slip through and make their grand return. Furthermore, the presence of the [[Anti Hero]] or [[Worthy Opponent]] blurs the distinction between good and evil, and in well-done cases, forces us to reexamine our preconceptions of right and wrong.
[[The Good Guys Always Win|Good always triumphs in the end, right]]? [[The Bad Guy Wins|Well, not always]]. The [[Balance Between Good and Evil]] gives many villains loopholes to slip through and make their grand return. Furthermore, the presence of the [[Anti-Hero]] or [[Worthy Opponent]] blurs the distinction between good and evil, and in well-done cases, forces us to reexamine our preconceptions of right and wrong.


But what is especially interesting about the media is how it appears to ''favor'' evil in its works. Squeaky-clean heroes are either prone to stretches of unendearing, [[Knight Templar]]-style ruthlessness or [[Good Is Boring|hopelessly boring]], while the villains inevitably have [[Evil Is Cool|cooler costumes and powers]]. If they do a [[Heel Face Turn]], that coolness factor often goes bye-bye thanks to [[Redemption Demotion]] -- not to mention that once they turn good, they usually [[Redemption Equals Death|don't get to live very long]]. No wonder why, for many [[Face Heel Turn|good-turned-evil]] characters, [[Evil Feels Good]].
But what is especially interesting about the media is how it appears to ''favor'' evil in its works. Squeaky-clean heroes are either prone to stretches of unendearing, [[Knight Templar]]-style ruthlessness or [[Good Is Boring|hopelessly boring]], while the villains inevitably have [[Evil Is Cool|cooler costumes and powers]]. If they do a [[Heel Face Turn]], that coolness factor often goes bye-bye thanks to [[Redemption Demotion]] -- not to mention that once they turn good, they usually [[Redemption Equals Death|don't get to live very long]]. No wonder why, for many [[Face Heel Turn|good-turned-evil]] characters, [[Evil Feels Good]].
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* [[Even Mooks Have Loved Ones]]
* [[Even Mooks Have Loved Ones]]
* [[Exceptionally Tolerant]]
* [[Exceptionally Tolerant]]
* [[Failure to Save Murder]]
* [["Failure to Save" Murder]]
* [[Faith Heel Turn]]
* [[Faith Heel Turn]]
* [[Family Honor]]
* [[Family Honor]]
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* [[Good Is Not Nice]]
* [[Good Is Not Nice]]
* [[Good Is Not Soft]]
* [[Good Is Not Soft]]
* [[Good Is Old Fashioned]]
* [[Good Is Old-Fashioned]]
* [[Good Old Ways]]
* [[Good Old Ways]]
* [[Good Running Evil]]
* [[Good Running Evil]]
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* [[Ignore the Fanservice]]
* [[Ignore the Fanservice]]
* [[Incorruptible Pure Pureness]]
* [[Incorruptible Pure Pureness]]
* [[Its All About Me]]
* [[It's All About Me]]
* [[Its All My Fault]]
* [[It's All My Fault]]
* [[Jerk Justifications]]
* [[Jerk Justifications]]
* [[Just Like Us]]
* [[Just Like Us]]
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* [[Karmic Protection]]
* [[Karmic Protection]]
* [[Know When to Fold Em]]
* [[Know When to Fold Em]]
* [[Laser Guided Karma]]
* [[Laser-Guided Karma]]
* [[Last Second Chance]]
* [[Last Second Chance]]
* [[Lesser of Two Evils]]
* [[Lesser of Two Evils]]
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* [[Moral Dilemma]]
* [[Moral Dilemma]]
* [[Moral Dissonance]]
* [[Moral Dissonance]]
** [[What Measure Is a Mook]]
** [[What Measure Is a Mook?]]
* [[Moral Event Horizon]]
* [[Moral Event Horizon]]
* [[Moral Myopia]]
* [[Moral Myopia]]
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* [[Order Versus Chaos]]
* [[Order Versus Chaos]]
* [[Ordered to Cheat]]
* [[Ordered to Cheat]]
* [[Out Damned Spot]]
* [[Out, Damned Spot!]]
* [[Pay Evil Unto Evil]]
* [[Pay Evil Unto Evil]]
* [[Peer Pressure Makes You Evil]]
* [[Peer Pressure Makes You Evil]]
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* [[Principles Zealot]]
* [[Principles Zealot]]
* [[The Promise]]
* [[The Promise]]
* [[Protagonist Centered Morality]]
* [[Protagonist-Centered Morality]]
* [[Protected By a Child]]
* [[Protected By a Child]]
* [[Prove I Am Not Bluffing]]
* [[Prove I Am Not Bluffing]]
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* [[The Sacred Darkness]]
* [[The Sacred Darkness]]
* [[Sacred Hospitality]]
* [[Sacred Hospitality]]
* [[Safe Sane and Consensual]]
* [[Safe, Sane, and Consensual]]
* [[Saintly Church]]
* [[Saintly Church]]
* [[Samaritan Syndrome]]
* [[Samaritan Syndrome]]
* [[Satan Is Good]]
* [[Satan Is Good]]
* [[Save the Villain]]
* [[Save the Villain]]
* [[Scare Em Straight]]
* [[Scare'Em Straight]]
* [[Scoundrel Code]]
* [[Scoundrel Code]]
* [[Screw the Money I Have Rules]]
* [[Screw the Money, I Have Rules]]
* [[Screw the Rules I'm Beautiful]]
* [[Screw the Rules, I'm Beautiful]]
** [[Cuteness Equals Forgiveness]]
** [[Cuteness Equals Forgiveness]]
* [[Screw the Rules I'm Doing What's Right]]
* [[Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right]]
* [[Screw the Rules I Have Connections]]
* [[Screw the Rules, I Have Connections]]
* [[Screw the Rules I Have Money]]
* [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money]]
* [[Screw the Rules I Make Them]]
* [[Screw the Rules, I Make Them]]
* [[Self-Disposing Villain]]
* [[Self-Disposing Villain]]
* [[Selfish Good Selfish Evil]]
* [[Selfish Good Selfish Evil]]
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** [[The Dog Shot First]]
** [[The Dog Shot First]]
* [[Shouldn't You Stop Stealing]]
* [[Shouldn't You Stop Stealing]]
* [[Silly Rabbit Idealism Is for Kids]]
* [[Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids]]
* [[Skewed Priorities]]
* [[Skewed Priorities]]
* [[Slave to PR]]
* [[Slave to PR]]
* [[Sliding Scale of Anti Heroes]]
* [[Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes]]
* [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]]
* [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]]
** [[Earn Your Happy Ending]]
** [[Earn Your Happy Ending]]
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* [[Violence Really Is the Answer]]
* [[Violence Really Is the Answer]]
* [[Warts and All]]
* [[Warts and All]]
* [[Was It Really Worth It]]
* [[Was It Really Worth It?]]
* [[What Do You Mean Its Not Heinous]]
* [[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?]]
* [[What If God Was One of Us]]
* [[What If God Was One of Us]]
* [[What Is Evil]]
* [[What Is Evil?]]
* [[What Is One Mans Life in Comparison]]
* [[What Is One Mans Life in Comparison]]
* [[What the Hell Hero]]
* [[What the Hell, Hero?]]
* [[What You Are in The Dark]]
* [[What You Are in The Dark]]
* [[Wife Basher Basher]]
* [[Wife Basher Basher]]

Revision as of 16:29, 8 January 2014
"The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil."
—Cicero

What is morality? Morality is the system of good and evil and all the shades of gray that come in between.

Good always triumphs in the end, right? Well, not always. The Balance Between Good and Evil gives many villains loopholes to slip through and make their grand return. Furthermore, the presence of the Anti-Hero or Worthy Opponent blurs the distinction between good and evil, and in well-done cases, forces us to reexamine our preconceptions of right and wrong.

But what is especially interesting about the media is how it appears to favor evil in its works. Squeaky-clean heroes are either prone to stretches of unendearing, Knight Templar-style ruthlessness or hopelessly boring, while the villains inevitably have cooler costumes and powers. If they do a Heel Face Turn, that coolness factor often goes bye-bye thanks to Redemption Demotion -- not to mention that once they turn good, they usually don't get to live very long. No wonder why, for many good-turned-evil characters, Evil Feels Good.

Some authors, it seems, can't stand any more of that preachy Anviliciousness and turn the tables on the end-all symbol of goodness, writing Rage Against the Heavens plots in which God Is Evil. Fans aren't immune to the siren song of evil, either; an alarming number of them insist on putting Draco in Leather Pants.

But it must be remembered that this entry refers to only good and evil in the media. In Real Life, good and bad choices are Serious Business.

Please remember that Tropes Are Not Bad and Tropes Are Not Good. This is merely a list of how many works in different media have confronted the issue of morality. There is no implication that any of the tropes listed below are either correct or incorrect about how they approach moral philosophy. Even moral philosophers still argue with each other about the correct way to approach moral philosophy!

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