Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 400
•
Trim: 7⅛ x 10¼
978-0-7425-4787-2 • Paperback • December 2011 • $109.00 • (£84.00)
978-1-4422-1455-2 • eBook • December 2011 • $103.50 • (£80.00)
Dean Kowalski is an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin Manitowoc.
Chapter 1: Rhetoric, Philosophy, and Moral ReasoningFeatured Film: Thank You for Smoking (2005)
1.1 Thinking through the Movie
1.2 Historical Setting: Plato, Gorgias (excerpt)
1.3 Discussion and Analysis
1.4 Two Additional Films: Minority Report (2002) and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008)
1.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
PART I: Meta-ethics
Chapter 2: Simple Ethical Subjectivism
Featured Film: Match Point (2006)
2.1 Thinking through the Movie
2.2 Historical Setting: David Hume, “Ethics and Sentiment”
2.3 Discussion and Analysis
2.4 Two Additional Films: The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) and The Shape of Things (2003)
2.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
Chapter 3: Moral Relativism
Featured Film: Hotel Rwanda (2004)
3.1 Thinking through the Movie
3.2 Historical Setting: William Sumner, “Folkways”
3.3 Discussion and Analysis
3.4 Two Additional Films: The Joy Luck Club (1993) and Do the Right Thing (1989)
3.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
Chapter 4: Divine Command TheoryFeatured Film: Frailty (2001)
4.1 Thinking through the Movie
4.2 Historical Setting: Plato, Euthyphro
4.3 Discussion and Analysis
4.4 Two Additional Films: Evan Almighty (2007) and Boondock Saints (1999)
4.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
Chapter 5: Ethical ObjectivismFeatured Film: The Cider House Rules (1999)
5.1 Thinking through the Movie
5.2 Historical Setting: Thomas Reid, “Of the First Principles of Morals”
5.3 Discussion and Analysis
5.4 Two Additional Films: Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Schindler’s List (1993)
5.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
PART II: What Ought I to Do?
Chapter 6: Biology, Psychology, and Ethical TheoryFeatured Film: Cast Away (2000)
6.1 Thinking through the Movie
6.2 Historical Setting: Aquinas, Summa (excerpt)
6.3 Discussion and Analysis
6.4 Two Additional Films: Boys Don’t Cry (1999) and Spiderman 2 (2004)
6.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
Chapter 7: UtilitarianismFeatured Film: Extreme Measures (1996)
7.1 Thinking through the Movie
7.2 Historical Setting: John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism (excerpt)
7.3 Discussion and Analysis
7.4 Two Additional Films: Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Eternal Sunshine…Spotless Mind (2004)
7.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
Chapter 8: Kant and Respect for Persons EthicsFeatured Film: Horton Hears a Who (2007)
8.1 Thinking through the Movie
8.2 Historical Setting: Immanuel Kant, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals (excerpt)
8.3 Discussion and Analysis
8.4 Two Additional Films: 3:10 to Yuma (2007) and Amistad (1997)
8.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
Chapter 9: Social Contract Theory: Hobbes, Locke, and RawlsFeatured Film: V for Vendetta (2005)
9.1 Thinking through the Movie
9.2 Historical Setting: Hobbes, Leviathan (excerpt)
9.3 Discussion and Analysis
9.4 Two Additional Films: Lord of the Flies (1990) and Serenity (2005)
9.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
PART III: How Ought I to Be?
Chapter 10: Aristotle and Virtue EthicsFeatured Film: Groundhog Day (1993)
10.1 Thinking through the Movie
10.2 Historical Setting: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (excerpt)
10.3 Discussion and Analysis
10.4 Two Additional Films: The Last Samurai (2003) and As Good as It Gets (1998)
10.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
Chapter 11: Care and FriendshipFeatured Film: Vera Drake (2004)
11.1 Thinking through the Movie
11.2 Historical Setting: Nel Noddings, Caring (excerpt)
11.3 Discussion and Analysis
11.4 Two Additional Films: The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2007) and Life Is Beautiful (1998)
11.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
Chapter 12: Plato and Being GoodFeatured Film: The Emperor’s Club (2003)
12.1 Thinking through the Movie
12.2 Historical Setting: Plato, Republic (excerpt)
12.3 Discussion and Analysis
12.4 Two Additional Films: Goodfellas (1990) and The Man without a Face (1993)
12.5 Reviewing through the Three Movies
Moral Theory at the Movies is a refreshing and thorough look at the subject of ethics. The well-chosen readings and movies will provoke students to engage constructively with the material and the author's discussions and explanations are clear and appealing. The study questions provided should ensure a high level of in-class discussion. In short, this is a first-rate text for introductory ethical theory courses.
— James B. South, Marquette University
If your ethics course needs a makeover, this book is the way to do it. Clearly written and pedagogically plotted, Moral Theory at the Movies brings classic texts of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and company into dialogue with contemporary films from Spielberg, Allen, Scorsese, and company. Two thumbs up.
— William Irwin, King's College, Pennsylvania
Moral Theory at the Movies is a textbook aimed at college students. And it's a good one. But any intelligent adult interested in learning more about what philosophers are doing in the realm of moral theory these days would be well served with this book.
— Metapsychology Online
Dean Kowalski provides a gift, a literary triumph that greatly assists educators in explaining and clarifying ethical theory in the college and university classroom. . . .[the author's] creative structural choice successfully and clearly communicates each element of ethical theory. . . .[this book] proves to be a powerfully helpful text that succeeds on many levels. This is especially noticeable in that the work succeeds in achieving a much greater understanding of ethics as it has been studied throughout history by using the medium of film to give it a degree of clarity that probably has not been seen in many works of its type.
— Communication Research Trends