PHIL 2048 - Philosophy of Film

This course is concerned with films in general. It will examine conceptions of and problems related to film as a cognitive or aesthetic medium. An important focus will be on the necessity of attaining conceptual clarity and rigor in answer to questions like What is film? Is film an art? How does film art relate to other forms of art? What aesthetic features are unique to the film medium? How does film communicate thought or engage us emotionally? The course will not be primarily a course of "philosophy in or as film", nor a course in "film studies". In distinction to much film theory, the specific aim of the present course is to develop ways of thinking about film informed by and related to insights and arguments from analytical and cognitive philosophy. Important aspects of film as an artistic medium will be explored. Some time will be spent discussing particular issues in relation to: (1) the nature of film; (2) film and authorship; (3) film and emotional engagement; and (4) film as a source of knowledge or insight.