Philosophy of Film
MIT's seminar on the philosophy of film examines how cinema creates meaning through the formal techniques particular to the medium, including editing, framing, and sound. The course focuses on aesthetic problems such as appearance versus reality, the relationship between literary and visual effects, and how film technology shapes communication and alienation between viewer and screen. Materials include a syllabus, assigned readings in philosophy and film theory, and discussion questions structured for a seminar format rather than lecture videos. Students work through case studies of specific films alongside philosophical texts to build arguments about what film art is doing when it works. Offered through MIT OpenCourseWare, all course materials are free to access and use under MIT's open license, with no certificate offered.