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Ethics goes to the movies : an introduction to moral philosophy

Title
Ethics goes to the movies : an introduction to moral philosophy / Christopher Falzon.
Author
Falzon, Christopher, 1957-
Publication
  • New York : Routledge, 2019.
  • ©2019

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TextUse in library MFL 19-2667Performing Arts Research Collections - Theatre

Details

Description
vi, 307 pages : illustrations; 23 cm
Summary
Movies hold a mirror up to us, portraying the complexities of human reality through their characters and stories. And they vividly illustrate moral theories that address questions about how we are to live and what sort of people we ought to be. In this book, Christopher Falzon uses movies to provide a rich survey of moral positions as they have emerged through history. These include the ethics of the ancient world, medieval ethics, Enlightenment and Kantian ethics, existentialist ethics and the ethics of the other. Each theory is explained in detail, using a number of examples from the book's wide selection of movies. The discussion draws on a range of recent and not-so-recent films, from Hollywood blockbusters to art-house cinema. In addition to covering thinkers one would expect in an introduction to ethics (e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Kant), the book discusses less canonical figures in detail as well (e.g., Marcuse, Foucault, Habermas). Similarly, the book examines both major ethical theories (e.g., Kantianism, utilitarianism, virtue ethics) and theories too often glossed over in introductory texts (e.g. Stoicism, Epicureanism, Habermas's discourse ethics and Nietzschean ethics). A wide range of movies are discussed, from Hollywood blockbusters and classics like The Dark Knight, Casablanca and Dirty Harry to lesser known films, like Force Majeure and Under the Skin. Atthe end of each chapter a focus on two feature films is included, with a plot summary and interpretations of several key scenes with a time marker indicating when in the film the scenes occur. A Filmography includes all movies discussed in the book and a Glossary covers key philosophical terms and figures.
Subject
  • Ethics in motion pictures
  • Motion pictures > Moral and ethical aspects
  • Ethics
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes filmography (pages 273-276), bibliograpical references (pages 288-299) and index.
Contents
Introduction: rear window ethics -- Excess and obsession: ancient ethics -- Sin and self-denial: religious ethics -- Pleasure, happiness and rights: enlightenment ethics -- Personhood and autonomy: Kantian ethics -- Slaves, supermen and authentic selves: existential ethics -- Encounters with aliens: ethics and the other.
Call Number
MFL 19-2667
ISBN
  • 9781138938205
  • 1138938203
  • 9781138938199
  • 113893819X
OCLC
1083763261
Author
Falzon, Christopher, 1957- author.
Title
Ethics goes to the movies : an introduction to moral philosophy / Christopher Falzon.
Publisher
New York : Routledge, 2019.
Copyright Date
©2019
Type of Content
text
Type of Medium
unmediated
Type of Carrier
volume
Bibliography
Includes filmography (pages 273-276), bibliograpical references (pages 288-299) and index.
Research Call Number
MFL 19-2667
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