Philosophy in the Lion King
Kat Koster
Mr. Hoskins
Apologetics
12-9-12
The Philosophy of The Lion King
The Lion King is a classic movie, beloved by many. On the surface, this movie seems to be a light-hearted, carefree tale of a lion cub’s journey to justice. However, on taking a deeper look, one finds that the tale consists of conflicting worldviews and philosophies, while presenting the idea of destiny. But which religions and philosophies is it portraying? Let us take a closer look.
Some would argue that Christianity is the mainly presented religion in the Lion King. After studying many different religious and worldviews, one can see that there a many different religious overtones. All these religions seem to collide in a sort of New Age impression. It displays the need for tolerance and that what might be true for some is not necessarily true for others.
SO when one is encountering a new religion, the first question is typically “Who is God?” Who is God in the Lion King? At first glance Mufasa, head of the lion pride, seems to be the ultimate symbol of authority and authority. Does this mean he should be considered as the “god” in the story? Certainly not. In one scene, Mufasa and Simba are having a father son conversation, in which Mufasa tells his son about the “Great Kings of the past.” Clearly, Mufasa is neither the first nor necessarily the greatest head of authority. We see, also, the entire animal kingdom strictly following the philosophy of the “circle of life.” Everything is working together to benefit each other. This idea dips into the idea of pantheism: everything is divine in nature. So is everything God? Again, no. there is a clear hierarchy of the animal kingdom. We see yet another force presented as a higher power. Rafiki is guided by nature (the wind, leaves, etc.)and this seems to be his ruling force. Truthfully, we would probably just classify Rafiki as a hippy and move on. Still, this is a worldview, and must be taken into account. So, really, the “god” in
Mr. Hoskins
Apologetics
12-9-12
The Philosophy of The Lion King
The Lion King is a classic movie, beloved by many. On the surface, this movie seems to be a light-hearted, carefree tale of a lion cub’s journey to justice. However, on taking a deeper look, one finds that the tale consists of conflicting worldviews and philosophies, while presenting the idea of destiny. But which religions and philosophies is it portraying? Let us take a closer look.
Some would argue that Christianity is the mainly presented religion in the Lion King. After studying many different religious and worldviews, one can see that there a many different religious overtones. All these religions seem to collide in a sort of New Age impression. It displays the need for tolerance and that what might be true for some is not necessarily true for others.
SO when one is encountering a new religion, the first question is typically “Who is God?” Who is God in the Lion King? At first glance Mufasa, head of the lion pride, seems to be the ultimate symbol of authority and authority. Does this mean he should be considered as the “god” in the story? Certainly not. In one scene, Mufasa and Simba are having a father son conversation, in which Mufasa tells his son about the “Great Kings of the past.” Clearly, Mufasa is neither the first nor necessarily the greatest head of authority. We see, also, the entire animal kingdom strictly following the philosophy of the “circle of life.” Everything is working together to benefit each other. This idea dips into the idea of pantheism: everything is divine in nature. So is everything God? Again, no. there is a clear hierarchy of the animal kingdom. We see yet another force presented as a higher power. Rafiki is guided by nature (the wind, leaves, etc.)and this seems to be his ruling force. Truthfully, we would probably just classify Rafiki as a hippy and move on. Still, this is a worldview, and must be taken into account. So, really, the “god” in