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Film

Existentialism in Children's Film Erraticus Jean-Paul Sartre Batman Begins Lego Movie Babe
(Jeffrey Howard)
Culture Essays 

Existentialism in Children’s Film

May 6, 2020April 28, 2021 12 min read Matthew Downhour Essential Reading, Existentialism, Film

Children’s films tend to emphasize the role of destiny or chance, but existential themes can be found in a few that highlight the importance of agency and defining the meaning of one’s own life.

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The Dude Abides Pragmatism Nihilism Deontology 3
(Universal Pictures)
Culture Essays 

The Dude Abides: Pragmatism as an Alternative to Deontology and Nihilism

November 14, 2019April 22, 2021 16 min read Matthew Downhour Deontology, Essential Reading, Film, Friedrich Nietzsche, Judaism, Nihilism, Pragmatism

Stuck in the conflict between two worldviews, the Dude offers a pragmatic third way forward for the postmodern world.

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Mary Poppins as the Bodhisattva Ideal Erraticus Image Walt Disney Studios
(Walt Disney Studios)
Culture Ideas 

Mary Poppins as the Bodhisattva Ideal

January 11, 2019August 28, 2020 7 min read David Paul Kirkpatrick Ancient Wisdom, Buddhism, Film

P.L. Travers, who hung out with British mystics and studied alongside a Zen Buddhist master, would have approved of the Mary Poppins sequel.

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Overcoming Childhood Trauma and Other Heroic Lessons from The Dark Knight
(Warner Brothers/DC)
Essays Psychology 

Overcoming Childhood Trauma and Other Heroic Lessons from ‘The Dark Knight’

May 1, 2017May 9, 2020 15 min read Joshua R. H. Parsons Empathy, Family, Film, Neuroscience, Relationships

A cinematic masterpiece, ‘The Dark Knight’ is filled with insights into empathy and building emotional resiliency after childhood trauma.

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Geek Culture is Mainstream, But Geek Girls Remain Left Behind
(Andrew Kelly)
Culture Essays 

Geek Culture is Mainstream, but Geek Girls Remain Left Behind

April 10, 2017June 3, 2020 6 min read Heather Cazad Film, Gender

Geek girls are vying for top-billing in a culture that used to ignore them and now frequently makes self-deprecating jokes about male geeks’ inability to coherently talk to women. Female representation is diversifying as women continue to grow as a consumer block, but women and girls deserve more.

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Reboots, Remakes, Revivals: Nostalgia in the Streaming Era
(Warner Bros. and Paragon Studios)
Culture Ideas 

Reboots, Remakes, Revivals: Nostalgia in the Streaming Era

January 3, 2017May 9, 2020 6 min read Heather Cazad Film, Nostalgia

Contemporary popular media seems to be powered by the fumes of nostalgia, and doesn’t appear to be changing course anytime soon. When should we let the past go, and when should we re-purpose television series and films to address our current challenges?

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A Pragmatic Approach to Ideas

An online publication focused on human flourishing, taking a pragmatic approach to ideas. We care about ideas that help us to live well together, focusing on their practical consequences.

 

“Pragmatism, on the other hand, asks its usual question. ‘Grant an idea or belief to be true,’ it says, ‘what concrete difference will its being true make in anyone’s actual life? How will the truth be realized? What experiences will be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? What, in short, is the truth’s cash-value in experiential terms?'” — William James

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