Reaction to A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange is a 19 71 film about a young man with a penchant for extreme violence, sex and classical music, Alex. After being sent to prison for murdering an elderly woman, Alex is given the opportunity to be cured of his violent nature with an experimental procedure called the Ludovico technique. In effect, the Ludovico technique is a form of classical conditioning. Alex watched scenes of extreme violence, and listened Beethoven’s 9^th symphony. While this would not normally cause a change in his behavior (a neutral stimulus), he was also given a serum (UCS) that produced extreme pain and nausea (UCR). After repeated exposure, he is conditioned to associate violence and sex (CS) with the pain he feels (CR). So in the end, he was incapable of watching or participating in violent acts, or listening to Beethoven’s ninth symphony.

Aside from the fact that Skinner would be delighted to see his operant conditioning put to use to change human behavior permanently, the movie also brought up the ethical issues behind trying to change people. The only person who even brought it up though was the prison chaplain:

“Choice! The boy has not a real choice, has he? Self-interest, the fear of physical pain drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. The insincerity was clear to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice.”

I personally agree with him. Keeping someone from doing wrong is not the same as someone actually reforming and becoming a better person. He doesn’t commit crimes out of any kind of moral standard. He’s just been trained to avoid the pain that comes with it.

Also, A Clockwork Orange? Not as random a title as I thought. I like it.