Philosophy 1062 Philosophy and Film

Instructor: Dr. Chris Venner

Location: Phillips B 152
E-mail: cvenner@gwu.edu
Office: Rome Hall 456

Course Number: 1062-10

Time: Th 3:30-6pm
Phone:
Office Hours: Th 1-2pm and F 3-4pm

Course Description:
This course will give students an historical overview of how Western philosophy has thought
about the relationship between the individual and the group to which she belongs. We will examine
this theme in three different historical settings the ancient polis, the early modern state, and
contemporary civil society. And we will situate each of our readings alongside movies that address
similar themes. For example, we will use Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing to orient our discussion of
justice in Plato's Republic, Hunger Games to accompany our discussion of Aristotle's theory of
friendship, and Fight Club to guide our reading of Freud's Ego and the Id. Students will develop the
ability to closely read philosophical texts, apply themes and ideas from those texts to films, and engage
in critical discussion about those texts and films with others.
Class time will be divided between lecture, discussion, and clips from assigned films.
Grading:
Individual Assignments = 48% (4 * 12% each)
You must submit your assignments in-person at the beginning of class on the day we
discuss that reading.
There are five (5) individual assignments due this semester. I will drop your lowest
individual assignment grade.
Midterm Exam = 24%
Final Exam = 24%
Participation = 4%
Books on Order:
Freud, The Ego and the Id
Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus
NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to alter the syllabus during the course of the semester.

Schedule of Classes

1/16: Introduction to Course

Polis
1/23:

1/30:

2/6:

2/13:

2/20:

2/27:

State
3/6:

3/13:

3/20:

3/27:

read Plato, Republic Book I

read Plato, Republic Book II
watch Do the Right Thing
read Plato, Republic Book VI
read Plato, Republic Book VII
watch House of Games
read Plato, Crito
read Plato, Phaedo
watch Dead Man Walking
ead Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Book I
read Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Book II
watch Bigger Stronger Faster
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Book III
read Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Book VIII
watch Hunger Games
Midterm Exam

read Hobbes, Leviathan Chapter XIII

read Hobbes, Leviathan Chapter XIV
watch No Country for Old Men
Spring Break
read Locke, 2nd Treatise on Government Chapter 2
read Locke, 2nd Treatise on Government Chapter 3
read Locke, 2nd Treatise on Government Chapter 5
watch There Will Be Blood
read Marx and Engels, Communist Manifesto
watch Gosford Park

Civil Society
4/3:
read Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil Chapter V
read Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil Chapter VII
read Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil Chapter IX
watch Dark Knight
4/10:
read Freud, Ego and the Id pp. 1-49
watch Fight Club
4/17:
read Camus, Myth of Sisyphus pp. 119-123 and pp. 3-65
watch Wristcutters
4/24:
course summary and review for final exam
4/29:
make-up day, if necessary
Final Exam
5/5-5/13: Final Exam during designated exam time