Phil 231: Philosophy in Film
Spring 2003
Dr. Tiffany

FIRST TAKE HOME EXAMINATION
 

You must write a total of two (2) essays.  Each essay should be typed in 12 point font, have at least 1” margins on all sides, and be double-spaced.  Each essay should be about 1000-1200 words (minimum 800 words; maximum 1500; include the word count in your essay).  The exam will be due Tuesday, Feb. 25th in class.  I need a hard copy in class.

You will need to submit your exams to turnitin.com. Go to:
 http://www.sfu.ca/acs/plagiarism/turnitin.htm
and follow the procedure.  The email address and phone number for technical support are provided on this page.
You will need the following information:

Class ID: 59562
Enrollment password: lynch


1. Make and defend a thesis that addresses one of the following prompts:
A. Compare and contrast the films the 13th Floor, Possible Worlds, and eXistenZ with respect to the question of knowledge and reality.

relevant reading: Chapter 1, "Knowledge," Think
B. Compare and contrast any 2 or 3 of the films we’ve seen with respect to Descartes’ cogito argument.  Which of the films is most Cartesian with respect to the ‘I’?  That is, to what extent do the films follow Descartes bifurcation of the thinking self and physical self?  You may, but are not required to, bring in Sartre.
relevant reading: Chapter 1, "Knowledge," Think
C. Can one plausibly interpret Possible Worlds as an idealist film (in the Berkelian sense of idealism)?
relevant reading: Chapter 7, "The World," Think
D.  Interpret Possible Worlds through the eyes of Sartre’s essay on imagination and the emotions.
relevant reading: Sartre, "Imagination and Emotion," on reserve.
E.  To what extent does eXistenZ succeed as an existentialist film?
relevant reading: Sartre, "Imagination and Emotion," on reserve.


 
2. Make and defend a thesis that addresses one of the following prompts:

A. Using Blade Runner and The Impostor as examples, defend the theory of mind you think most plausible (e.g. behaviorism, functionalism, psycho-physical identity).

relevant reading: Chapter 2, "Mind," Think
B. Are replicants people?  Do they feel pain? What about Centaurians?
relevant reading: Chapter 2, "Mind," Think
C. Should Spencer Olham be concerned about the future well-being of the bomb-version of Spencer Olham?
relevant reading: Bernard Williams, "The Self and the Future" (on reserve)
D. Does Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) succeed at being John Malkovich?
relevant reading: Chapter 4, "The Self," Think
E.  Does Leonard Shelby (from Memento) succeed at being anyone?
relevant reading: Chapter 4, "The Self," Think