PHIL299-002 -- Second-Year Seminar: Philosophy Through Film
Fall 2014
Dr. Skoble
Here is the syllabus. I will use this space to post links to additional readings and so on.
I will post the IMDb listing for the films each week - both to provide you with handy references to characters and actors, and to make sure you're watching the correct movie.
Week of 9/9: Importance of Philosophy, nature of rational inquiry, logic and irrationality-- Agora; The Name of the Rose
Week of 9/16: Epistemology and Personal Identity-- The Matrix, Total Recall
Here is some additional reading on The Matrix. And here's something on Total Recall.
Week of 9/23: Ethics part 1: why be moral? -- A Simple Plan; Crimes and Misdemeanors
Additional reading for Crimes and Misdemeanors; additional reading for A Simple Plan
Week of 9/30: Ethics part 2: Integrity -- Manhattan; A Man for All Seasons
Additional reading for Manhattan; additional reading for A Man for All Seasons (coming)
Week of 10/7: Local Hero; Another Woman
Additional reading for Another Woman here.
Week of 10/14: The Castle; Serenity
Week of 10/21: All The President's Men; Broadcast News
Week of 10/28:
Henry V; Breaker
Morant No short reflection this week, but here is the first
paper assignment. This should be a WORD document (meaning a .doc or a .docx)
formatted thus: 3-4 pages, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New
Roman font, page numbering on, your name, date, and PHIL299 top left of first
page - but then email it to me as an attachment from your @bridgew address.
This is due in my inbox 9:00 am Thursday Nov 13.
Topic: King Henry, disguised as a common soldier, meets with some of his men,
and gets into a conversation about the war, and claims that the cause is just.
Williams says, skeptically, "That's more than we know." Bates replies that
it's "more than should seek [to know], for we know enough if we know we are the
king's subjects: if his cause be wrong, our obedience to the king wipes the
crime of it out if us." Henry (still in disguise) notes that "Every
subject's duty is the king's, but every subject's soul is his own."
Williams affirms "the king is not to answer for it." Bates seems
unconvinced. Re-watch this scene if necessary, and then here's the topic-
which position do you think is correct, and why?
Week of 11/4: Paths of Glory; Gallipoli
Week of 11/12-13 -- Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven. Further reading here.
Week of 11/18: The Conversation; The Lives of Others
Week of 12/2: Casablanca; The Shawshank Redemption
Assignment for second paper: As before, this should be a WORD document (meaning a .doc or a .docx) formatted thus: 3-4 pages, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, page numbering on, your name, date, and PHIL299 top left of first page - but then emailed as an attachment from your @bridgew address. This is due in my inbox by 10:00 am Tuesday December 16. Topic: Do you think that art - film in particular - can help us understand philosophical issues? (That's a yes/no question, which should be reflected in your thesis statement.) If yes, illustrate with examples from this semester -- pick 2 or 3 and explain how they were useful in illuminating an issue. If no, explain why not, also using examples from this semester's viewing.