Methods in the Philosophy of Literature and Film
Title: Methods in the Philosophy of Literature and Film
Publication: Herman Cappelen, John Hawthorne and Tamar Szabo Gendler (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Methodology. Oxford University Press, 641–656
Date: 2014
Abstract: This article discusses methods in the philosophy of literature and film (PLF). It begins by providing some background on PLF and how it differs from those philosophically influenced projects for understanding and interpreting literature and film most often undertaken by film and literary scholars. It then reviews the history of the study of literature and film before considering how particular filmic or literary works might function as evidence for, or as things to be explained by, general claims offered within PLF. It examines the claim that literary and filmic works may themselves be sources of philosophical ideas and, sometimes, contributions to philosophy itself. It then describes Darwinian approaches to PLF. Finally, it considers the role of empirical evidence in assessing claims about the value of literature as a source of knowledge.