Philosophy at the Movies

What does this 1968 film portray with regard to the possible interplay between intelligent guidance and evolutionary processes in the origins of humanity? What resonances does its story have with religious traditions on this subject? How does it reflect pop-cultural trends on that same question? How does it illustrate, in the 'person' of the HAL-9000 computer, the potentials and pitfalls of artifi...

What does this classic film suggest to us about travel between the actual and possible worlds? What does it suggest about invariance of character traits of individuals across possible worlds? Are Potter and George Bailey such invariant characters, the former always depraved, the latter always good? What was Clarence's purpose in showing George a particularly bleak alternate history of his town, on...

What does the film, based loosely upon the Robert Heinlein novel, tell us about director, Paul Verhoeven's opinion of the novel? What is the message the film and novel transmits concerning civil/military relations today? What is the role for philosophical and ethical education in Heinlein's vision of secondary and post secondary education? What does he have us consider with regard to the notion of...

What does this film tell us about the range of responses we can have toward aspects of our lives that are outside our complete control? How does Charles Foster Kane exemplify, through failure, Aristotle's views on virtues, his doctrine of the mean, and his views on happiness or flourishing? How does he exemplify, through failure, Stoic Doctrine? How does Kane's life parallel Welles's own life, and...

What does this film tell us about the potential to bio-engineer characteristics that would suit human beings for roles that require use of violence, such as bounty hunters or military combatants? What does it tell us about the ongoing project of creating AI that has an ability to perfectly mimic human emotional reactions? What does the ambiguous interpretation of Joi's actions indicate about this?...

What does this documentary series tell us about the sense of duty and service to country that was felt by five directors from the golden age of Hollywood (John Ford, John Huston, Frank Capra, George Stevens and William Wyler)? What does it tell us about sterwardship responsibilities, with regard to US troops that was shouldered by General George C. Marshall and civilian leadership, during WWII? Wh...

What does this movie, based upon a Phillip Roth novel, tell us about cancel culture on campus? What does it tell us about the difficult choice made by the main character, Coleman Silk, who disowned his African American family in order to pursue success in his careers passing as a white Jewish man? Does the film attempt too much by cursorily including too many of the novel's narrative threads? Shou...

What does this 1973 film tell us about post Hays-Code Hollywood and the ethics of using child actors in roles such as that of the possessed daughter, Regan? What does it tell us about the interaction between the MPAA and film producers/distributors? What does the film make us consider with regard to the problem of the existence of evil and God? Why would God allow a perfectly malignant demon to ex...

What does this retelling of the Godzilla story tell us about the responsibilities of governments in handling emergency situations? How does it reflect contemporary Japanese bureaucracy and does it provide a window into how the Japanese conscience feels about WWII era lmperial leadership in the terminal stages of that war? The film's first half is dark satire, while the later half portrays internat...

How does this horror/suspense film engage with recent philosophical thought experiments having to do with brain transplants and issues of personal identity? How does producer/director Jordan Peele utilize awkwardness in white/black relations to build suspense and foreboding in his audience? What did he intend to tell us regarding the challenges that young black males face when interacting with law...

What does this film tell us about the human proclivity to use fellow human beings as mere means to larger ends, such as corporate gain or climate change mitigation? Is it realistic to assume a corporation, its employees or society would treat cloned humans as less than human? How does the AI robot, GERTY, illustrate codes of ethics for AI human interaction? What evidence is there that GERTY is sim...

What does this film, about the court-martial of a black cavalryman who is accused of rape and murder of a white woman, tell us about justice, fairness, and bigotry in the post-bellum U.S. Army? What message does John Ford wish to send his audience of 1960? Does he presage elements of the looming civil rights battles of that decade? Does he intend to show us that the military led the way in regard...

What does this story, based on the early days of American involvement in the air war over Germany, tell us about the tensions that exist for commanders when they try to balance mission accomplishment with their stewardship responsibilities they have for the well-being of their people? How does the film contrast with later Vietnam era films, with regard to cynicism and combat exhaustion?

What does the film tell us about circumstances where it becomes necessary to act with 'dirty hands' in order to preserve civilization? How does John Ford use the character of the black man Pompey as an object lesson in the inconsistencies between American ideals and practice in regard to civil rights?

What are the concepts of the natural lottery and moral luck, and how are they represented in the film? Is it fair of Capt. Miller to demand, with his last words, that Ryan “earn it” as he dies after defending the bridge? Is this final demand from Miller representative of a message from members of US armed services to the country they serve?

What does this 1952 Japanese film, about a bureaucrat who discovers he has terminal cancer, tell us about choice, direction in life, and living authentically? What does it tell us about the focus and hard questions that often happen when confronted with one's own mortality? What does it say about the compromises with reality or necessity that most people must make when it comes to the ability to m...

What does this film tell us about the benefits and risks associated with reviving long extinct life forms? What is the interplay between scientific inquiry and entrepreneurial efforts in the film? What are the competing motivations in such cases? Do such projects as the real-world enterprise "Pleistocene Park" run similar risks while offering their possible benefits? If so, how might they be mitig...

What does this 1996 film, about nerve regeneration research, tell us about utilitarian thought and the role of consent in medical research using human subjects? What lessons can be learned for medical research by comparing and contrasting this fictional story with actual historical episodes?

What does this film about Jesuit missionaries in Algonquin territory during the 1600s tell us about rationality and religious beliefs? How does it illustrate the conceptual difficulties that can occur when we attempt to understand cultures whose experiences and outlooks are foreign to us in fundamental ways?

What does W.E.B Dubois' concept of 'double consciousness' tell us about the main character Starr Carter, and life as a black American? What does it tell us about recent police shootings of unarmed black men? What does THUGLIFE mean? Is the message of The Hate U Give one of despair or hope when it comes to race relations? How do these themes connect with other recent films and the comedy of Key and...

What does Blade Runner tell us about the role of empathy in morality? How are memories connected with personal identity? What connection is there between the capacity for cruelty and moral agency? Is there religious significance or commentary in this film and in the book upon which it is based? These, and other questions are explored.

What does the 2016 film Arrival tell us about time, and our relationship to it? If you knew your future and could choose, would you live it exactly as it is to unfold? Does foreknowledge of the future course of our lives imply that there is no free will? Would it be wrong to inform loved ones of the tragedies you see for them? Would it be wrong to enter into relationships that you know will end in...