What, if anything, can Film offer to the body of Philosophical knowledge and understanding?
Film Literature and Philosophy 1
Esme Banks Marr 09819687
What, if anything, can Film offer to the body of philosophical knowledge and understanding? The question of whether or not there are elements of Philosophical thinking and discussion that cannot be reached, without Film, is of paramount discussion in this essay. Could Cinema be the latest development in the teaching of Philosophy? The idea of film as a means of philosophy, must call upon mutual considerations, from both perspectives; philosophy reflects upon film just as much as film teaches philosophy. This relationship is evident in many filmic texts. Philosophy can be applied to almost any film, however, a film that can teach the viewer philosophical arguments, or philosophical thinking, is different. I shall be using two key case studies to aid in my argument that Cinema is a new phase, for the understanding of philosophy.
Firstly, it is essential to state why Philosophy is important, and why it is studied. From the viewpoint of Perspectivism, all human beings adjust their lives in order of what they view actuality is, and this, evidently, directs them in how they think they should act. The life one fulfils, along with the choices made, are a direct consequence of their own personal philosophy. Philosophy can be studied in various ways. The aim of this paper is to show how, and explain why Film is not only a relevant, but valuable way of understanding philosophy.
Films might be seen as “themselves reflecting on and evaluating such view and arguments, as thinking seriously and systematically about them in just the ways that philosophers do.”
(Mulhall, 2002:2) The principle among philosophers founded by Aristotle (c300 BC) of
‘peripatetic’s’, is the teaching method of essentially ‘walking and talking’. Whereby one will do their greatest thinking and understanding, whilst engaging on such a walk. With the same belief, Film can take a viewer on a journey, which one would seldom
Esme Banks Marr 09819687
What, if anything, can Film offer to the body of philosophical knowledge and understanding? The question of whether or not there are elements of Philosophical thinking and discussion that cannot be reached, without Film, is of paramount discussion in this essay. Could Cinema be the latest development in the teaching of Philosophy? The idea of film as a means of philosophy, must call upon mutual considerations, from both perspectives; philosophy reflects upon film just as much as film teaches philosophy. This relationship is evident in many filmic texts. Philosophy can be applied to almost any film, however, a film that can teach the viewer philosophical arguments, or philosophical thinking, is different. I shall be using two key case studies to aid in my argument that Cinema is a new phase, for the understanding of philosophy.
Firstly, it is essential to state why Philosophy is important, and why it is studied. From the viewpoint of Perspectivism, all human beings adjust their lives in order of what they view actuality is, and this, evidently, directs them in how they think they should act. The life one fulfils, along with the choices made, are a direct consequence of their own personal philosophy. Philosophy can be studied in various ways. The aim of this paper is to show how, and explain why Film is not only a relevant, but valuable way of understanding philosophy.
Films might be seen as “themselves reflecting on and evaluating such view and arguments, as thinking seriously and systematically about them in just the ways that philosophers do.”
(Mulhall, 2002:2) The principle among philosophers founded by Aristotle (c300 BC) of
‘peripatetic’s’, is the teaching method of essentially ‘walking and talking’. Whereby one will do their greatest thinking and understanding, whilst engaging on such a walk. With the same belief, Film can take a viewer on a journey, which one would seldom
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