The opening caption of the film draws a parallel of sorts — ‘Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this, he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity.’ Oppenheimer is thus implied as the ‘American Prometheus’. He did not steal any special divine power though, but was instrumental in discovering how to harness a devastating power from nature, as urged by those who supported him, who used it upon other men. If Oppenheimer felt ‘tortured’ before and after, these might be some of the moral dilemmas he struggled with…
[1] If someone probably more evil will create a terrible weapon, should you create and use it to deter him? Will such deterrence really work? [2] Must such a weapon be demonstrated on many humans for all humans to be afraid? Is this justifiable? How many times should it be used? Once, twice or more? [3] An artificial town (for experimentation) was created, but to destroy two very real cities. Was it worth it? [4] Since bombs drop on the just and unjust, is it ever just to drop a bomb?
[5] Is there a weapon terrible enough to end all wars, or will it inspire a more terrible one? [6] Is the creation of such a weapon triumph or tragedy? [7] The atomic bomb did not end all wars, but did deter some wars. Was it worth it? [8] How different is the creator of what destroys from the one who uses it? Is the first totally or partially absolved of responsibility? How much so? [9] What are the differences between the righteous and self-righteous, the wrong and self-wronged? [10] If selfish and awful people do not know they are so, are you selfish and awful?
Oppenheimer is also the ‘The Modern Prometheus’, which is the other title of the classic novel ‘Frankenstein’. Having fathered a true monster, he tried to gain some control by speaking up on it being an existential threat to humanity. This he did for the rest of his life, while he never offered an outright apology. Was his speaking up then, his lifelong making of amends of sorts? Was it enough? Were the atomic bomb and bombing truly inevitable evils? ‘So here we are, hmmm? Lost in your quantum world of probabilities, and needing certainty.’ So uttered Einstein in the film to him.
Related Review:
‘Einstein And The Bomb’s Paradoxes
https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2024/02/einstein-and-the-bombs-paradoxes
