ERIC Number: EJ1414982
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1472-9679
EISSN: EISSN-1754-0402
The Ethics of Mountain Adventure: Education from the Tragic and Sublime on Screen
James MacAllister
Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, v24 n1 p51-64 2024
In this paper, I consider the ethics education potential of two documentary films set in the mountains. I first draw upon the work of Emily Brady in order to tease out some similarities and differences between environmental tragedy and sublime experiences in nature. I secondly argue that the screened sublime is qualitatively different but not necessarily inferior to sublime sensations in nature. I then discuss how the film Mountain showcases the allure of the mountains while also suggesting the search for the sublime there may not be morally justifiable unless it is sustainable. I thereafter unpack the tragic themes in, and moral issues raised by, The Last Mountain. I maintain the film invites viewers to consider the ethics of risky mountain adventures and whether the rewards of such adventures justify the very real risk of tragedy. I conclude by thinking through how the films explored in the paper can aid mountain adventure education in at least two ways: (1) by opening up questions about the moral and ethical frameworks that mountain adventurers have and should have and; (2) by providing viewers with safe and sustainable experiences of the tragic and sublime.
Descriptors: Films, Adventure Education, Ethics, Tragedy, Aesthetics, Moral Issues, Sustainability, Safety, Cognitive Processes, Grief, Environmental Influences
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A