Finding Ourselves at the Movies: Philosophy for a New Generation

Finding Ourselves at the Movies by Professor Paul W. Kahn attempts to bring the traditional and historical questions of philosophy to our attention again. Philosophical discourse is not as popular as it once was, but as the subtitle argues it is necessary for there to be a “Philosophy for a New Generation.” The book requires a close reading with many concepts and ideas becoming part of the vocabulary of the dialogue expressed here. The vocabulary used is sometimes academic and scholarly. The movies however do provide topical narratives to explore historical questions which may have different answers in the world we live in now.

This book is not for those who want a quick read about the movies. The book does get us to examine our life in greater detail. The movies provide all sorts of story lines to explore the themes of the questions posed here. Big concepts are discussed like Democracy, Interpretation, Romance, Love and the State. There is also a religious discourse presented. The book is a challenging read which gets us to think more fully about our lives. Some of the movies, for those who have been paying close attention, have been exploring these questions all along.