Philosophy Through Film [Hardcover]

Mary M. Litch (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415938759 | ISBN-13: 978-0415938754 | Publication Date: June 14, 2002

Philosophy Through Film offers a stimulating new way to explore the basic questions of philosophy. Each chapter uses a popular film to examine one such topic - from free will and skepticism to personal identity and artificial intelligence - in a approachable yet philosophically rigorous manner. A wide range of films are discussed including more recent releases like Being John Malkovich , Total Recall and Boys Don't Cry , and classics like Rashomon and Crimes and Misdemeanors , all readily available through major video rental chains. This unique and engaging introduction provides an exciting new way to learn about philosophy and connects complicated philosophical questions to the familiar settings of popular culture.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'How does one make philosophy exciting for general readers and students in introductory philosophy classes?  Mary Litch has found the recipe.  Combine the dramatic power of contemporary narrative films with incisive discussions of central philosophical issues, and the result is a compelling book for teaching and learning about philosophy. Each chapter clearly and engagingly introduces a key philosophical topic, then expertly demonstrates how a recent film illustrates a philosophical position, or else, through its dramatic conflicts, clarifies opposing alternatives.  New to this edition are seventeen excerpts from primary sources, from Plato to Hume to Camus, making this book an excellent choice for introductory philosophy classes.' – Carl Plantinga, Calvin College, USA

'Mary Litch's Philosophy Through Film was one of the first and remains one of the most useful textbooks for introducing students to philosophical concepts by way of film. Litch shows that popular films can be philosophical, in the sense that they raise philosophical concerns and illustrate in powerful ways the importance of these concerns. In addition to discussing several new films, the newest edition includes a selection of important classic readings in philosophy as complements to the film-based discussions of central topics, and offers an insightful and straightforward introduction to some of the many philosophical issues involved in considering film for its philosophical content.' – Nathan Andersen, Eckerd College, USA

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Mary Litch is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (June 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415938759
• ISBN-13: 978-0415938754
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,438,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to philosophy through film, August 7, 2007

By 

Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Philosophy Through Film (Paperback)

In the last decade or so a number of philosophers have become interested in film, both as a way of illustrating difficult concepts in philosophy and as a medium with a rich potential for the development of philosophical thought. Mary Litch's "Philosophy through Film" was one of the first and remains one of the best and most useful textbooks for introducing students to philosophical concepts by way of film, and uses ideas drawn from philosophy to help analyze films that raise important questions about the nature of human identity, the character of knowledge, and ethical and existential questions about how we live. The format is especially helpful. Each chapter introduces a central philosophical theme and raises several of the issues that surround this theme, and then illustrates the theme with a brief account of two or three contemporary and easily accessible films that raise issues related to this theme. The final part of the chapter presumes that students will have gone on to view the film for the first time, or once again with the specific thematic issues of the chapter in mind. She then gives a detailed summary of each film to suggest how the film raises and resolves such issues and examines what is at stake in the way the film seems to resolve this issue. So, for example, a chapter on personal identity -- the question what makes a person who he or she is -- is complemented by analyses of the films Being John Malkovich and Memento. A chapter on epistemology -- the question how we know what we know and whether we can have knowledge at all -- is complemented by analyses of "Total Recall" and "The Matrix." Overall, it is a fine book that is well written and clear -- and while I may disagree with some of her emphases and wish she had discussed certain subjects more or less, the overall presentation is compelling and interesting. Something she doesn't do, but that other philosophers have begun to do in a number of books, is raise questions about the nature of film itself and whether and to what extent it is a medium uniquely suited for the expression or exploration of philosophical ideas. Even more, whether film itself might be said to be a medium for philosophy and not merely a useful illustration of philosophical concepts. I use this as a text in my course entitled Film and Philosophy to introduce students to the methods of philosophy, and especially to make relevant some of the seemingly abstract debates that take place within ethics, epistemology and metaphysics. I supplement this with discussions and readings in aesthetics to raise the question what is distinctive to film as a medium, and to raise questions that go beyond film as an illustration of philosophy and in the direction of the "philosophy of film." I'd love to see Mary Litch come out with a new edition of this excellent text, and expect to keep using it for some time.

UPDATE: a new edition of Philosophy through Film has been published, including discussions of more films and additional topics, as well as a brief but valuable introduction to issues surrounding the "philosophy of film."

4.0 out of 5 stars A very informative book, July 14, 2011

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clover "the wanderer" (TX USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Philosophy Through Film (Paperback)

I bought this book for my philosophy class at college. I had neither interest nor knowledge about philosophy prior to this class. But the book made it easy for me to enter philosophical world, it was not that boring as I thought. Overall a good book for beginner of philosophy, very throughly explained and informative.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Quality, January 30, 2011

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Saiyuri007 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Philosophy Through Film (Paperback)

This product arrived in great condition and was exactly as discribed. Arrived on time and undamaged. I highly recomend this seller.