Thomas E. Wartenberg

This chapter makes a case for elementary-school children having the ability to discuss difficult, abstract philosophical issues. The question of whether judgments of artistic merit are objective or simply an expression of one’s preferences is used as an example of an issue in the philosophy of art that young children can discuss. To make the abstract discussion easier to enter into, a children’s picture book functions as the vehicle to raise it. In this case, Peter Catalanato’s book, Emily’s Art, raises the question about the objectivity of judgments of artistic merit. In the book, a judge clearly makes a mistake when she rejects Emily’s painting because it is a painting of a dog and she hates dogs. We ask the children what the difference is between saying one painting is better than another and saying that you like one flavor of ice cream better than another. Without introducing the names of either great philosophers or labels for philosophical problems, we are able to get young children to engage in deep philosophical discussions and even propose innovative solutions to the problems they discuss.

This chapter demonstrates how Carol Reed’s 1949 film, _The Third Man_, sheds light on Aristotle’s account of friendship in the _Nichomachean Ethics_. Aristotle raised the question of whether it was ever justified for someone to unilaterally dissolve a friendship without the knowledge or consent of another, since the ethical relationship of friendship imposed obligations on each person. His answer was that the only circumstances in which this was justified is when the friend either (a) deceived one about the nature of the friendship, or (b) had undergone a fundamental change of character. The story how Holly Martin’s (Joseph Cotton) gradually comes to an adequate understanding of both the true nature of his relationship with Harry Lime (Orson Welles) and also Lime’s own character provides a clear illustration of Aristotle’s claims. The film is also shown to develop some further ideas about the nature of friendship as an ethical relationship.

This article shows how the distinction between the foreground and the background in a film shot can be used by a film to philosophize. The argument proceeds by means of an analogy between verbal irony as in Marc Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar and a film’s use of a contrast between a shot’s foreground and background. To establish its case, the article shows how the recent film The Zone of Interest illustrates Hannah Arendt’s notion of the banality of evil by means of the contrast between the Hösses leading apparently happy lives as they are shown in the foreground of the film’s shots and the Auschwitz Extermination Camp that looms over the Höss family and is shown in the background of many of the film’s shots. As in verbal irony, the shots show a contradiction between what is shown in the foreground and what the audience sees in the background.

This article shows how the distinction between the foreground and the background in a film shot can be used by a film to philosophize. The argument proceeds by means of an analogy between verbal irony as in Marc Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar and a film’s use of a contrast between a shot’s foreground and background. To establish its case, the article shows how the recent film The Zone of Interest illustrates Hannah Arendt’s notion of the banality of evil by means of the contrast between the Hösses leading apparently happy lives as they are shown in the foreground of the film’s shots and the Auschwitz Extermination Camp that looms over the Höss family and is shown in the background of many of the film’s shots. As in verbal irony, the shots show a contradiction between what is shown in the foreground and what the audience sees in the background.

_The collection brings together a wide range of contributors, including both philosophers and film scholars. All of them address the question of whether philosophy can take the form of, or be articulated through, film._ A new text for the growing field of philosophy of film, engaging with a variety of questions concerning the relationship between film and art, aesthetics and philosophy. Explores a wide variety of forms and periods of film, such as the avant-garde, continental film and popular American cinema, to present diverse answers to this question. Draws on a range of films, from the works of Hitchcock to _Mission: Impossible_ and _Being John Malkovich_.

In her essay “The Idea of Perfection,” Iris Murdoch argues that sustained attention directed towards another can result in a person’s moral improvement by getting them to have a more accurate view of the other. In this essay, I argue that the award-winning film My Octopus Teacher illustrates Murdoch’s view and corrects some of its shortcomings. It illustrates Murdoch’s claim by showing how one of the filmmaker’s sustained attention directed at an octopus results not only in an alternation in the filmmaker’s view of the cephalopod but also transforms his life by making him more open to others. Because the central relationship in the film is one between a human being and a cephalopod, the film also corrects the anthropocentric bias in Murdoch’s account by showing that a human being can have a transformative relationship with a creature as alien appearing as an octopus.

Big Ideas for Little Kids includes everything a teacher, a parent, or a college student needs to teach philosophy to elementary school children from picture books. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book explains why it is important to allow young children access to philosophy during primary-school education. Wartenberg also gives advice on how to construct a "learner-centered" classroom, in which children discuss philosophical issues with one another as they respond to open-ended questions by saying whether they agree or disagree with what others have said.

Thinking on Screen: Film as Philosophy is an accessible and thought-provoking examination of the way films raise and explore complex philosophical ideas. Written in a clear and engaging style, Thomas Wartenberg examines films' ability to discuss, and even criticize ideas that have intrigued and puzzled philosophers over the centuries such as the nature of personhood, the basis of morality, and epistemological skepticism. Beginning with a demonstration of how specific forms of philosophical discourse are presented cinematically, Wartenberg moves on to offer a systematic account of the ways in which specific films undertake the task of philosophy. Focusing on the films The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Modern Times, The Matrix, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Third Man, The Flicker, and Empire, Wartenberg shows how these films express meaningful and pertinent philosophical ideas. This book is essential reading for students of philosophy with an interest in film, aesthetics, and film theory. It will also be of interest to film enthusiasts intrigued by the philosophical implications of film.

Abstract:Romeo and Juliet is one of the first works to emphasize the important place that romantic love holds in the lives of two individuals. Less frequently acknowledged is the role of romantic love in the play's criticism of feudal society. Using the notion of an unlikely couple, I explore the play's critique of feudal society for allowing the antagonism between the two lovers' noble households to undermine the possibility of their finding true love. The play argues for the importance of a strong, centralized state in securing the welfare of its citizens.

This book provides justification and instruction for exploring philosophy with children, especially by using picture books to initiate philosophical discussion. By demonstrating to pre-service teachers that picture books often embed philosophical issues into their narratives, and that this makes picture books a natural place to go to help young children investigate philosophical issues, the author offers a straightforward approach to engaging young students. In particular, this volume highlights how philosophical dialogue enhances children's sense of self, provides a safe space for the discussion of issues that they are confronted with in living their lives, and develops an admirable method for resolving conflict that the children can use in other contexts.

Thoughtful Images: Philosophy Illustrated is the first systematic investigation of how artists throughout the ages have illustrated philosophical texts, ideas, concepts, and theories. The book begins by developing a theory of visual illustrations of philosophical texts and undermining what the author calls "the denigration of illustration." The book then takes a more historical approach, beginning in Ancient Greece and Rome and proceeding through Medieval illuminations and printed broadsides to the frontispieces of philosophical texts. Throughout, attention is paid to how technological developments enable different means for illustrating philosophy.