ABSTRACT

Can film serve as a philosophical medium in at least some of the ways that language does? Surprisingly, perhaps, philosophers of some repute have taken this question seriously. Even more surprisingly, some have argued that it should be answered affirmatively. The first notable proponent of what we may term the “film as a philosophical medium” (FPM) thesis was Stanley Cavell (1979). The cinematic medium, Cavell argued, is by its very nature philosophical, since it embodies philosophical concerns about scepticism. Other philosophers have argued, less boldly, that, while not inherently philosophical, cinema, like natural language, can be used to advance philosophical understanding. Stephen Mulhall, for example, speaks of some works of cinema as “philosophy in action”. He has in mind, in particular, the Alien series which he presents as a philosophical exploration of “the relation of human identity to embodiment” (2002, 2). More recently, Thomas Wartenberg (2007) has argued that film is capable of “screening” philosophical thought experiments, as well as serving as a medium for other kinds of philosophical inquiry. Wartenberg also recently co-edited a special edition of The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism on the theme “Film as Philosophy”.