NYC Film & Philosophy is run in parallel with the Philosophical Reading Meetup [ http://www.meetup.com/philosophical ]. Where Philosophical Reading is for focused readings & dialog on particular texts, this group accommodates a looser, more general discussion relating the film with ideas.
The theme is to discover and debate cinematic expressions of philosophical ideas. An essay or a key passage from a philosophical work is distributed prior to each meeting for comparative reading during the event. Meetings are generally held at a downtown theater for viewing, with a cafe or pub discussion following the film.
Film and philosophy text choices are open to suggestions by members. Some philosophical subjects we may touch on include: Deleuze's Cinema 1 & 2 books (The Movement-Image and The Time-Image) as inspiration for considering film philosophically; Hegel and Heidegger on the concepts of time, reflection and history; Kant's self-conscious ethics versus the ritual practice; Foucault on knowledge as social power; Nietzsche's Over-man and the Eternal Return of the Same; Plato on erotic love; Marx's theory of society; Dawkins and the unphilosophical debate of science versus creationism; Judith Butler and postmodernist feminism; Cornel West on race, religion, and philosophy in America; Slavoj Zizek on Lacanian psychoanalysis applied to film; Alain Badiou on the Subject of the Event.
Films can range anywhere from the high-concept art film to the low-concept pop phenomenon as subject for ideological critique.
Support a Meetup group while getting exposure to active, local members.
What members are saying
“ It's a brilliant way to "look" at a film - philosophy and conversation in conjunction with a film's underlying themes. ”
“ Great group -- and tom is a great moderator looking forward to the next one -- thanks tom ”
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