PHIL 381.001 – Philosophy and Film

Instructor: Alan Nelson. This course meets W 12:20 – 2:50 p.m. in CW 103.

An investigation of philosophical themes using films as the primary texts.  Topics will include self knowledge and personality, the nature of romantic love, and the relationship between humanist and scientific modes of knowledge.  Films by Nolan, Akerman, Soderbergh, Tarkovsky, Von Trier, and others will be studied.  Some viewing will be done in class, but students will also need to do some viewing outside class–at the Undergraduate Library’s Media Resource Center, for example.  There will also be some short, supplementary readings.

Prerequisite: at least 1 PHIL course