Course overview

The main aim of this course is to develop language skills in academic English while at the same time studying philosophical problems through film. This merits the following two clarifications.

First, though part of the aim of the course is to practice English skills, this is not an English class. Our main concern will not be Shakespeare’s tongue but rather the peculiar hybrid that communities of academics around the globe speak and write in and what we will be calling ‘academic English’. Though native and fully fluent speakers of English certainly have an advantage, there is no need to be perfectly fluent in English in order to be proficient in ‘academic English’. Everyday conversation in English may still stump you even though you are able, in ‘academic English, to deliver a live talk to an audience in your field of study, take questions from the public, and publish results in an academic journal.

Second, there are many deep philosophical issues about film where the worries can be categorized as issues in aesthetics, that is, roughly, issues about art and beauty. Is film a form of art? In which way? How does image and sound make art in cinema? Is any long format video recording a film? What makes a film beautiful? Are Hollywood blockbusters art? In such way of approaching to the philosophy and film, the locus of attention tends to be film as a whole, the medium, rather than individual films. Such philosophical questions are about the work of art that films, in general, can or could be. We will not be dealing with such issues.

Rather, the way in which we will talk about philosophical problems in and around film is better understood if we consider doing philosophy through films. We will not be considering the medium of cinema but rather the individual films and the philosophical claims they purportedly touch upon Though philosophy in contemporary centers of learning tends to be done through reflection upon the written word of the philosophical tradition (we read what Aristotle, Aquinas, Arendt, Anscombe and others have thought and then discuss how their thinking can help our understanding today), in this module, we will consider how specific films put forward philosophical thesis for our consideration and how philosophy can be done through them.

To achieve success in philosophy is, according to the philosopher Wilfried Sellars, to ‘know one’s way around’ with respect to the several ways in which things hang together in the broadest possible sense of the term. And, accordingly, we will aim to know our way around the several ways that specific films relate to topics about knowledge, reality, value, humanity and morality. This course is an introduction to such philosophical topics and, though incomplete and superficial, it will hopefully help you acquire a taste for the moreish aspects of philosophy through film :).

Instructor: Juan Camilo Espejo-Serna 

Meeting time: Mondays 8:00 - 10:00 am

Learning outcomes

  • The student produces short philosophical videos in English.

  • The student plans philosophical videos in English.

  • The student understands key philosophical issues introduced by films and of film as a way of philosophizing.

  • The student understands the core elements of lectures, films, and texts in English.

  • The student uses ICTs to support their learning of English and philosophy.

Course content

Unit 1 - Knowledge and reality

Is knowledge possible? What is knowledge? Why does knowledge of reality matter? Is time real?

(Probable films: Total recall, Matrix, Truman Show, Inception, Interstellar, 12 Monkeys )

(5 weeks)

Unit 2 - Human nature

Is there free will? What makes you the person you are? What makes us human? What could artificial intelligence be?

(Probable films: Blade runner, Gattaca, Ex Machina, Minority report, Looper)

(6 weeks)

Unit 3 - Value and reality

Is morality objetive? What are the virtues and vices of critical thinking? What are the risks of moral thoughtlessness?

(Probable films: Memento, They live, The act of killing, the Network, 12 angry men )

(5 weeks)

Assessment

Short videos

Weekly short videos in response to a video prompt.

Longish videos

A short video essay that presents with the following structure:
  • Pick one of the films and one of the questions we have touched upon in class.
  • Select scenes/quotes from the film that help present the question
  • Structure a version of the question on the basis of the scences/quotes
  • Select scenes/quotes from the film that help answer the question
  • Structure an answer to the question on the basis of the scenes/quotes

Rough outline

Word count: 500 words

An outline in which you present the structure of how you would defend a philosophical thesis. You must use the secondary literature, offer a clear argument and (at least roughly) base it on a film.

Longer video essay

10-15 minutes video

An video in which you defend a philosophical thesis.You must use the secondary literature, offer a clear argument and (at least roughly) base it on a film.

Late submissions

If something happens, it is important to speak with the me. Let’s talk. We do not have to talk about your personal issues, but it is important that you get in touch with me if you find yourselves in a situation where you see you cannot fulfill the required submissions. In such cases we need to talk as soon as possible and agree upon a plan to solve the problems with respect to the class requirements. I repeat: please get in touch.

Grades

Unit Activity Percentage
1 Short videos 15%
1 Longish videos 15%
2 Short videos 15%
2 Longish videos 15%
3 Rough outline 10%
3 Longer video essay 30%

Bibliography and media

In this module, you will read and listen to philosophy in preparation for the lecture.

All of the reading will come from 1000word philosophy; all of the listening will come from Philosophy Bites. Every week I will assign a specific podcast episode and one 1000word philosophy essay to go with the film.