Philosophy Goes to the Movies : An Introduction to Philosophy

by Falzon; Christopher

• ISBN13: 9780415357265
• ISBN10: 0415357268
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2007-02-22
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

From Metropolis to The Matrix, from Gattaca to Groundhog Day, films can help to illustrate and illuminate complex philosophical thought. Philosophy Goes to the Movies is a new kind of introduction to philosophy, that makes use of film to help us understand philosophical ideas and positions. Drawing on a wide range of films from around the world, and the ideas of a diverse selection of thinkers from Plato and Descartes to Marcuse and Foucault, Christopher Falzon introduces and discusses central areas of philosophical concern, including: *the theory of knowledge *the self and personal identity *ethics *social and political philosophy *critical thinking Ideal for beginners, this book guides the reader through philosophy using lively and illuminating cinematic examples including A Clockwork Orange, Mulholland Drive, Blade Runner, Modern Times, Wings of Desire and The Lord of the Rings. This fully revised and updated second edition featuresan expanded introduction providing guidance on teaching and discussing philosophy through film, as well as new material on notable philosophers such as Rousseau, Aquinas and Nietzche, and discussion of a wide range of recent films.

Author Biography

Christopher Falzon is a lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Newcastle, Australia

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Philosophy and film	p. 3
The philosophical approach	p. 8
Overview of the book	p. 13
Plato's Picture Show - the theory of knowledge	p. 17
Plato's cave	p. 19
Descartes, dreams, and demons	p. 25
Rationalism and empiricism	p. 36
Is seeing believing?	p. 41
Kant and relativism	p. 46
The truth end nothing but	p. 52
All of Me - the self and personal identity	p. 55
Plato and the parts of the soul	p. 58
Descartes and dualism	p. 69
Locke and personal identity	p. 79
Kant, personhood, and moral worth	p. 89
Crimes and Misdemeanors - moral philosophy	p. 99
The ring of Gyges	p. 101
Plato and inner balance	p. 106
Religion and morality	p. 111
Kant: doing one's duty	p. 117
Utilitarianism	p. 124
Existentialism: absurdity, freedom, and had faith	p. 131
Antz - social and political philosophy	p. 141
Plato's ants	p. 143
Literalism: the heroic individual	p. 148
Marxism: the social individual	p. 156
Three faces of power	p. 168
Modern Times - society, science, and technology	p. 179
Scientific utopias	p. 182
Playing God: scientific hubris	p. 189
Alienation in a technological society	p. 195
Recent technology, new views	p. 205
The Holy Grail - critical thinking	p. 213
Reasoning and arguing	p. 216
When arguments go wrong	p. 223
Formal fallacies	p. 224
Informal fallacies of language	p. 225
Informal fallacies of relevance	p. 229
Informal fallacies of evidence	p. 232
Closed thinking	p. 235
The importance of being critical	p. 240
Further Reading	p. 245
Glossary	p. 249
Bibliography	p. 255
Index	p. 261
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