An Analysis Of Murdoch's Moral Philosophy In The Bell

Iris Murdoch is one of the most important figures in both literature and moral philosophy. The Bell is her fourth novel which tells a story about the happenings at a lay community in a countryside of England. Through the description of the characters'life, Murdoch conveys her moral philosophical ideas. Based on her moral philosophical ideas, this thesis aims at analyzing her ideas about love, art and Good which are expressed in the novel. For Murdoch, human beings tend to be trapped in self-centeredness due to their natural selfishness and contingency of the world. In moral life, people must expel the self and have a clear vision of reality. The ultimate goal of moral life is Good, where reality is. The paths to Good are love and art. Love is the essence of morality. Both love and art reveal reality and the world beyond the self.