Film Blog

The film for this unit is The Third Man. Please watch the film and post a reflection (aim for around 500 words) to our forum. (The library has a digital copy of the film. You can access the film by going to the "Welcome" page of our course and scrolling down to the "Library Reserves" section. Once there you will have access to all of the films for our course.)

You can either address the open ended the film critique prompt:

Offer a brief overview of the reading(s): What is the central philosophical issue or theme? What were the primary topics of discussion?  What interesting questions were raised?  What conclusions, if any, were reached?  

A synopsis of the film: How does the film relate to the reading(s) under consideration? How did the main philosophical points or ideas manifest in the film? 

An evaluation of the philosophical success of the film Did the film adequately treat the philosophical topic? Why or why not? 

OR if you would rather a guided prompt, here are a couple of specific questions you can answer. You need not answer each, but please aim for an original response of around 500 words: 

A. Does Holly have any special obligations to Harry because of their friendship?

B. What would Kant, Mill, or Noddings, make of the way that the film ends? Does Holly do the right thing? Why or why not?

C. Noddings argues that for the ethics of care "our obligations are limited and delimited by relation." Does Holly have any obligation to those impacted by Harry's dilution of the vaccine? Are those people in Holly's caring network? Why or why not?