Philosophy at the Movies

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 make a living or provide for family, and what does it tell us with regard to obligations of sons and daughters to parents?

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 mitigated? Is it, in principle, impossible to predict consequences of playing with complex systems, such as eco-systems? If so, should we abstain from doing so?

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 Peele and Dave Chapell? These, and other questions are explored.

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 tragedy? These and other questions are explored in this film.