Philosophy Goes to the Movies
An Introduction to Philosophy, 2nd Edition
By Christopher Falzon
Published February 22nd 2007 by Routledge – 256 pages
Description
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, Philosophy Goes to the Movies 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 features an 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.
Reviews
Praise for the first edition:
'No longer do students of philosophy have to fear dry texts filled with unreadable sentences from the masters of thought. Philosophy Goes to the Movies introduces philosophy through film… Given the importance of the visual and powerful new movies, we can only look forward to more books like Falzon's.' – Times Higher Education Suppliment
'An immensely enjoyable read. It is engagingly written by someone with an obvious enthusiasm for both film and philosophy and who clearly has a talent for making philosophy accessible.' – Journal of Applied Philosophy
'Urbane, engagingly written … admirably suited for someone taking a basic philosophy course using film.' – Matthew Kieran, Philosophical Books
Contents
Acknowledgements. Introduction. Philosophy and Film. The Philosophical Approach. Overview of the Book. 1. Plato's Picture Show: the Theory of Knowledge Plato’s Cave. Descartes, Dreams and Demons. Rationalism and Empiricism. Is Seeing Believing? Kant and Relativism. The Truth and Nothing But. 2. All of Me: The Self and Personal Identity Plato and the Parts of the Soul. Descartes and Dualism. Locke and Personal Identity. Kant, Personhood and Moral Worth. 3. Crimes and Misdemeanors: Moral Philosophy The Ring of Gyges. Plato and Inner Balance. Religion and Morality. Kant: Doing One’s Duty. Utilitarianism. Existentialism: Absurdity, Freedom and Bad Faith. 4. Antz: Social and Political Philosophy Plato's Ants. Liberalism: the Heroic Individual. Marxism: the Social Individual. Three Faces of Power. 5. Modern Times: Society, Science and Technology Scientific Utopias. Playing God: Scientific Hubris Alienation in a Technological Society. Recent Technology, New Views. 6. The Holy Grail: Critical Thinking Reasoning and Arguing. When Arguments Go Wrong. Closed Thinking. The Importance of Being Critical. Further Reading. Glossary. Bibliography. Index
Author Bio
Chris Falzon is a lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He has researched and published in the areas of continental philosophy and philosophy and film. He is the author of Foucault and Social Dialogue (1998) and Philosophy Goes to the Movies (first edition 2002).
Name: Philosophy Goes to the Movies: An Introduction to Philosophy, 2nd Edition (Paperback) – Routledge
Description: By Christopher Falzon. 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, Philosophy Goes to the Movies introduces and discusses central areas of philosophical concern,...
Categories: Introductory Philosophy, Philosophy of Film, Cinema Studies & Popular Cinema
