Who is the real parasite? The debate between egalitarianism and liberalism through “parasite”

Abstract

Equality, a noble ideal always longed for by humanity, yet eternally distant in reality. In Parasites, Bong Joon-ho unravels the searing irony of this idea when the Kim family, in their desperate rise from the shadows of poverty, infiltrate the lives of the Park family, a family whose existence is oblivious to the abyss that lies beneath their feet. Thus, this piece of cinema digs into the cracks of a deeply broken society, demonstrating the reflection of human desires and their need for survival. For this reason, the following essay aims to determine the legal philosophical relationship behind Bong Joon-ho's film Parasites from the perspective of Rawls' egalitarianism, criticism of utilitarian tendencies and the role of libertarianism in an unequal society. Therefore, the authors conclude that a free society is an equal one.