Short course
Philosophy goes to the Movies: Introducing Key Philosophical Ideas through Film
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates:
13/04/2027 - 15/06/2027
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
An introduction to some classic philosophical puzzles, drawing on cinematic illustrations including Blade Runner, The Matrix, Ex Machina, Freaky Friday, The Truman Show, The Time Machine, and The Stepford Wives. The course includes the thinking of philosophers as diverse as Plato, Rene Descartes, John Locke, Hilary Putnam, and Thomas Nagel.
The course functions as an ideal introduction to philosophy for those new to the subject, though it will also be of interest to those already possessing some background knowledge. Topics explored include: Could a machine think and feel? What makes life meaningful? and How do I know the world I experience is real, and not an illusion? What makes me the same person over time (Memories? A soul? A particular animal body?), Are we ever justified in taking an innocent life? and Is Time Travel logically possible?
The course aims to familiarise students with key ideas and arguments and to sharpen critical thinking skills, including the ability to make points clearly and succinctly, analyse arguments, and spot reasoning errors.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Programme details
Course starts Tuesday 13 April 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 4.30-6.30pm.
Week 1: The Matrix: Descartes, Scepticism, and Brains in Vats
Week 2: The Matrix and Shadowlands: Plato’s Cave
Wee/k 3: From Blade Runner and Terminator to Ex Machina: Could a Machine Think and Feel?
Week 4: Final Destination and Minority Report: Fate, Freewill, and Determinism
Week 5: Gattaca: Genetic Determinism and Designer Babies
Week 6: Unthinkable and Eye in The Sky: Is it Ever Morally Acceptable to Torture or Kill an Innocent Child?
Week 7: The Truman Show and The Stepford Wives: Exploring the Meaning of Life
Week 8: Freaky Friday and The Prestige: Could We Swap Bodies?
Week 9: Being John Malkovich – Wittgenstein and the Private Mind
Week 10: The Time Machine – is time travel logically possible?
Teaching methods
Weekly two hour sessions comprising lectures with slides, class discussions and seminars, and reading of short extracts. Electronic presentations will be used and made available to students as handouts. Students will be able to benefit from formative feedback on written work during the course.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- be able to understand a number of key philosophical puzzles and and articulate attempts at solving them;
- constructively evaluate the positions that have been explored and develop a position of their own.
Image: public domain poster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_travel_in_fiction#/media/File:Poster_for_the_1960_film_The_Time_Machine.jpg
or:
popcorn: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Popcorn.svg
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Course aims
This course aims to enable participants to explore a range of classic philosophical questions and puzzles through the study of film.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will have been given the opportunity to:
- develop an understanding of key philosophical arguments and concepts through the analysis of selected films
- explore historical and contemporary philosophical approaches to a range of philosophical issues and consider how these are reflected in film
- engage critically with philosophical ideas and develop skills in analysing, discussing and evaluating philosophical arguments
Programme details
Course starts Tuesday 13 April 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 4.30-6.30pm.
Week 1: The Matrix: Descartes, Scepticism, and Brains in Vats
Week 2: The Matrix and Shadowlands: Plato’s Cave
Wee/k 3: From Blade Runner and Terminator to Ex Machina: Could a Machine Think and Feel?
Week 4: Final Destination and Minority Report: Fate, Freewill, and Determinism
Week 5: Gattaca: Genetic Determinism and Designer Babies
Week 6: Unthinkable and Eye in The Sky: Is it Ever Morally Acceptable to Torture or Kill an Innocent Child?
Week 7: The Truman Show and The Stepford Wives: Exploring the Meaning of Life
Week 8: Freaky Friday and The Prestige: Could We Swap Bodies?
Week 9: Being John Malkovich – Wittgenstein and the Private Mind
Week 10: The Time Machine – is time travel logically possible?
Teaching methods
Weekly two hour sessions comprising lectures with slides, class discussions and seminars, and reading of short extracts. Electronic presentations will be used and made available to students as handouts. Students will be able to benefit from formative feedback on written work during the course.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- be able to understand a number of key philosophical puzzles and and articulate attempts at solving them;
- constructively evaluate the positions that have been explored and develop a position of their own.
Image: public domain poster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_travel_in_fiction#/media/File:Poster_for_the_1960_film_The_Time_Machine.jpg
or:
popcorn: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Popcorn.svg
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Dr Stephen Law
Stephen Law is a Departmental Lecturer in Philosophy and Director of the Certificate of Higher Education at OUDCE. His research focuses on the philosophy of mind, language, metaphysics and on philosophy of religion. He also writes many accessible online articles and edits the Royal Institute of Philosophy journal THINK: Philosophy for Everyone.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.