Philosophy through Film

In Philosophy through Film, Amy Karofsky and Mary M. Litch use recently released, well-received films to explore answers to classic questions in philosophy in an approachable yet philosophically rigorous manner. Each chapter incorporates one or more films to examine one longstanding philosophical question or problem and assess some of the best solutions that have been offered to it. The authors fully integrate the films into their discussion of the issues, using them to help students become familiar with key topics in all major areas of Western philosophy and master the techniques of philosophical argumentation.Revised and expanded, changes to the Fourth Edition include: A brand new chapter on the mind-body problem (chapter 4), which includes discussions of substance dualism, physicalism, eliminativism, functionalism, and other relevant theories. The replacement of older movies with nine new focus films: Ad Astra, Arrival, Beautiful Boy, Divergent, Ex Machina, Her, Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow, A Serious Man, and Silence. The addition of two new primary readings to the appendix of source materials: excerpts from Patricia Smith Churchland’s, "Can Neurobiology Teach Us Anything about Consciousness?" and Frank Jackson’s "What Mary Didn’t Know." The inclusion of a Website, with a Story Lines of Films by Elapsed Time for each focus film.The films examined in depth are: Ad Astra, Arrival, Beautiful Boy, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Divergent, Equilibrium, Ex Machina, Gone Baby Gone, Her, Inception, Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow, The Matrix, Memento, Minority Report, Moon, A Serious Man, Silence

"Outstanding! I am a major fan of this book and have used it with great success in my philosophy and film classes. The 4th edition continues to give philosophical substance to course content that might otherwise wander too far in the direction of mere film review. The writing style is down to earth, and the philosophical topics are traditional ones that work perfectly in introduction to philosophy courses. The authors smartly confine the book to just 16 films that can realistically be viewed during a single semester, and their choice of films is spot on, including both current and classic ones." James Fieser, University of Tennessee at Martin Praise for previous editions:"A valuable book for introducing students to the wonder of philosophical exploration and the power of philosophical reasoning to force us to reevaluate our reflexive responses to fundamental questions, such as the nature of truth or the self."Jennifer Hansen, St. Lawrence University"With clarity that doesn’t compromise rigor, Mary Litch and Amy Karofsky introduce readers new to philosophy to some of its most enduring concerns and seminal questions, including skepticism, personal identity, artificial intelligence, and political philosophy"Mark Uffelman, Millersville University"Highly recommended for the introductory philosophy classroom, as well as for anyone who likes movies that make you think."Nathan Andersen, Collegium of Letters, Saint Petersburg, FL

Amy Karofsky is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Hofstra University.Mary M. Litch is now retired. Most recently, she served as Director of Learning Spaces at Chapman University. She has taught philosophy at Chapman University, Yale University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University of Massachusetts at Amherst.