Media Analysis Essay

For this assignment, watch a show or film, or several shows and films, and write about its or their engagement with a philosophical theory or issue. The goal of this paper is to show me that you can identify philosophy’s effect on film and television through its seemingly direct employment of philosophical doctrines (e.g., Groundhog Day and The Matrix). The standard way to write this paper would be to summarize a philosophical theory discussed in class (or one you read on your own), summarize the plot of the show or film, and then explain how the show or film is engaging with that philosophical theory. But you can also argue that a show or film misunderstands a philosophical theory by employing it in the wrong way (e.g., Back to the Future and Lewis’s theory of time travel). Note that a philosophical theory can influence something even if the writers never heard of that philosophical theory. The writers of Freaky Friday, for example, were clearly influenced by Locke’s theory of personal identity even if they never read it: they may have been inspired by some other show or film that was directly inspired by Locke’s theory, for example. What’s important here is that any philosopherwho watches Freaky Friday would think of Locke’s theory of personal identity. Your goal is to find a similar (definite) parallel between philosophy and film or television (or video games, or whatever else).

The only real requirements for this paper are that it should be at least three pages long (i.e., going onto the fourth page), and that it should focus on a philosophical theory we discussed in class. As long as you can relate the show or film to a definite philosophical theory (in such a way that any professional philosopher seeing the show or film you’re working with would say, “Ah, yes, this is clearly influence by, e.g., Locke’s theory of persons”), you’re in the clear. philosophers in a show or film, not about vaguely relating philosophical themes to something.