Wall-E

The central philosophical dilemma addressed in Hackett's essay on WALL-E

Whether contemporary society has moral duties toward nature and future generations, and how corporate capitalism prevents fulfilling those duties.

WALL-E's initial act of moral care toward nature

Finding a small living plant growing in a boot and taking it to his lair to provide it with sunlight and shelter.

Contrast between instrumental value and intrinsic value in environmental ethics

Instrumental value views nature as a tool or commodity for human profit/use, whereas intrinsic value recognizes nature's worth in and of itself.

Hackett's clarification on viewing nature as a "person"

It does not mean nature is a biological human, but rather that nature can be a bearer of moral rights and possess intrinsic value.

Role of the Buy n Large (BnL) Corporation in global environmental collapse

BnL promoted hyper-consumerism and monopoly control, treating Earth's resources strictly as profit mechanisms until the planet became unsalvageable.

Secret Directive A113 issued by CEO Shelby Forthright in 2110

A corporate mandate instructing the autopilot AUTO to never return to Earth because environmental cleanup efforts had been abandoned.

Life of human passengers aboard the starship Axiom

Humans live passive, hyper-consumerist lives in floating recliners, catered to by automated systems while screens distract them from environmental responsibility.

Definition and significance of an "intergenerational ship" in ethics

A self-contained vessel where generations live and die in transit, demonstrating that finite resources require strict conservation and intergenerational justice.

Major obstacles preventing recognition of duties to future generations

Short-term corporate profit motives, present-focused self-interest, and the temporal/spatial distance of unborn individuals.

Captain McCrea’s transformation upon seeing the plant

He moves from passive corporate administration to active moral agency, realizing humanity wants to "live" rather than just "survive," leading him to defy AUTO and return to Earth.