Philosophy Goes to the Movies: An introduction to philosophy, Second edition

Review

Praise for the first edition:

No longer do students of philosophy have to fear dry texts filled with unreadable sentences from the masters of thought. Philosophy Goes to the Movies introduces philosophy through film... Given the importance of the visual and powerful new movies, we can only look forward to more books like Falzons.
- Times Higher Education Suppliment

An immensely enjoyable read. It is engagingly written by someone with an obvious enthusiasm for both film and philosophy and who clearly has a talent for making philosophy accessible. - Journal of Applied Philosophy

Urbane, engagingly written ... admirably suited for someone taking a basic philosophy course using film. - Matthew Kieran, Philosophical Books
Product Description

From Metropolis to The Matrix, from Gattaca to Groundhog Day, films can help to illustrate and illuminate complex philosophical thought. Philosophy Goes to the Movies is a new kind of introduction to philosophy, that makes use of film to help us understand philosophical ideas and positions. Drawing on a wide range of films from around the world, and the ideas of a diverse selection of thinkers from Plato and Descartes to Marcuse and Foucault, Christopher Falzon introduces and discusses central areas of philosophical concern, including:

*the theory of knowledge

*the self and personal identity

*ethics

*social and political philosophy

*critical thinking

Ideal for beginners, this book guides the reader through philosophy using lively and illuminating cinematic examples including A Clockwork Orange, Mulholland Drive, Blade Runner, Modern Times, Wings of Desire and The Lord of the Rings. This fully revised and updated second edition features an expanded introduction providing guidance on teaching and discussing philosophy through film, as well as new material on notable philosophers such as Rousseau, Aquinas and Nietzche, and discussion of a wide range of recent films.