ABSTRACT

This volume advances the contemporary debate on five central issues in the philosophy of film. These issues concern the relation between the art and technology of film, the nature of film realism, how narrative fiction films narrate, how we engage emotionally with films, and whether films can philosophize. Two new essays by leading figures in the field present different views on each issue. The paired essays contain significant points of both agreement and disagreement; new theories and frameworks are proposed at the same time as authors review the current state of debate. Given their combination of richness and clarity, the essays in this volume can effectively engage both students, undergraduate or graduate, and academic researchers.

chapter |14 pages

Introduction

part I|40 pages

What Is the Relation between the Art and the Technology of Film?

part II|42 pages

In What Ways Is Film a Realistic Medium?

part III|32 pages

How Do Films Work as Narrative Fictions?

part IV|34 pages

How Do Films Engage Our Emotions?

chapter 7|17 pages

Putting Cognition in Its Place

Affect and the Experience of Narrative Film

chapter 8|15 pages

Mirror Neurons and Simulation Theory

A Neurophysiological Foundation for Cinematic Empathy

part V|40 pages

Can Films Philosophize?

chapter 9|17 pages

Film as Philosophy

The Pro Position