PHI 105 — Philosophy and Film: Great Ideas in Blade Runner, A Clockwork Orange, Vertigo, and More
Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Frederick M. Dolan
Date(s): Jan 5—Mar 9
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Tuesdays
Class Meeting Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Tuition: $585
Refund Deadline: Jan 7
Unit(s): 2
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
The topics of some of the greatest philosophers—the nature of reality, the limits of knowledge, the origin of good and evil, the problem of power—are also the themes of some of the best films. This course will explore philosophical ideas and problems as they arise in various films by pairing texts with films. A few examples: Ridley Scott's Blade Runner with Descartes and Donald Davidson for and against skepticism regarding the reliability of our beliefs about the external world; Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange with Hobbes vs. Rousseau on human nature and government; Joseph Losey's The Servant with Hegel's dialectic of master and slave; Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo with Plato and Martha Nussbaum on love. We'll also devote time to the philosophy of film: theories of film as an art form and film criticism as a mode of interpretation. Students will be introduced to topics in epistemology, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics and gain insights into some very good films.
Students will watch assigned films outside of class. All films are available through major streaming platforms.