Inherit The Wind Reaction Paper 572g30

Micho P. Diez LLB-1

M11

Philosophy of Law

A Reaction Paper to the Class Presentation of the Movie Entitled, “Inherit the Wind”

Matthew Harrison Brady: the wisdom of Solomon in the book of Proverbs. “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.” Thus, the prosecutor’s famous line quoted during a religious gathering held day after that controversial trial started. That time, Brady stopped the town’s minister in condemning the teacher, Mr. Betram Cates, for teaching the Theory of Evolution to his students. The town’s law prohibits public school teachers from denying the Biblical of mankind’s origin. The movie is a showcase of debate in court over creationism versus evolution. While the prosecution held firm that a law prohibiting the teaching of evolution was ed and should be observed by every town’s people, his further argument related the law on morality, righteousness and common belief that God is the cause of existence to everything and therefore any acts discontenting to it should be punished and corrected. In contrary, the Défense council represented by Henry Drummond argued on the right of each person to think and that the state prohibiting the acts of Mr. Cates in teaching evolution implicates prohibition of democracy as well. He defended the teacher’s freedom to think and express scientific ideas. He questioned the prosecution or even the court’s rule of not accepting his witnesses being men of science to stand for litigation before the court. The result came up to the idea of challenging the prosecution by making the prosecution lawyer, Brady himself, a witness to stand as a man in authority of explaining and proving the contents of the bible reasonable enough to be the basis of Mr. Cates’ prosecution. Due to the existence of such law and the prohibition made against Cates was valid in that state, the jury decided the teacher guilty as charged. However, the imposed penalty declared by the judge was pertained reasonable enough for the damages caused. The amount of $100 as penalty was unexpected by the prosecution and that made them felt defeated, despite the guilt charged to the teacher. The result cause a tragic death of Mr. Brady. Mr Drummond who was still a friend though to his opposing council felt deeply saddened. The movie is a very good source of significant philosophies in law, being given life by the compelling characters of the two lawyers on both sides of the courtroom. The litigation instituted statutes and beliefs to be carefully associated with relevant doctrines, philosophies, logic and necessities in the society and individuals. The wonderful aspect of Inherit the Wind is that the characters are not mere symbols representing opposing viewpoints. They are very complex, deeply human characters, each with their own strengths and flaws. As to my personal remark, movies like these must be brought back to the modern times. Young aspiring lawyers-to-be can learn a lot of logic and wisdom from the great lawyers of the past. Thus the case, as that in the movie is a good source of milestone jurisprudence for the present and the future. Thank you very much Attorney Empaces for showing to us this great movie – Inherit the Wind.