Another one, Bean (Aramis Knight) is comically puny. One student, Bernard (Conor Carroll), hates his guts. When he is finally given his own “army” of students to command for the Battle Room games, it turns out to be (or appear to be) a bunch of misfits. as persons, and thus his conception of human capital is ultimately dehumanizing.Įnder, on the other hand, demonstrates an alternate view. In an argument with Major Gwen Anderson (Viola Davis), who believes Graff is being too harsh on Ender, Graff blurts out, “My father trained horses, and I know a thoroughbred when I see one.” He doesn’t treat the children at the Battle School with the dignity befitting rational beings, i.e.

Yet, as the movie progresses, it becomes apparent that Graff’s understanding of human capital is one in which human beings are the best capital to be used by others for a greater good.

Ender Wiggen is singled out by Colonel Graff as humanity’s best chance and sent to the military “Battle School,” a space station orbiting the Earth where children are taught strategy through competing in what might be called a game of zero gravity, team laser tag in a special arena known as the “Battle Room.” The following clip of Graff recruiting Ender demonstrates the high value he places on human capital: The world government fully acknowledges that “man’s principal resource is man himself.” To this end, they believe their only hope to be training up a new hero commander from the best and brightest of Earth’s children. The first attack left millions dead and was only narrowly averted by the leadership of Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), who by Ender’s time is mythologized as a hero.

The back story to Ender’s Game is that, 50 years after an unexpected invasion by the Formics, an insect-like alien species also referred to as “Buggers,” the militaristic government of Earth frantically prepares to regroup in order to prevent any future attacks. While affirming this truth, Ender’s Game challenges viewers to consider precisely what they might mean, demonstrating in the characters of Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and Ender Wiggen (Asa Butterfield) that the specifics of one’s definition makes all the difference. In economic terms this idea is known as human capital. In Centesimus Annus, Pope John Paul II wrote, “besides the earth, man’s principal resource is man himself.” He goes on to emphasize the importance of human knowledge, intelligence, and virtue for human flourishing.

Ender’s Game, the recent film based on the best-selling science fiction novel, offers compelling insight into the idea of human capital, among many other compelling insights (e.g.

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