Movies about Stoicism
Fight club (based on the Chuck Palahniuk book by the same name) is told through the eyes of a character who isn’t named (played by Edward Norton) — the “narrator”. He leads a boring nine-to-five-cubicle life as an insurance analyst. His whole existence centers around his job and the material possessions it enables. That’s until he meets Tyler Durden — an eccentric rebel who seem to be everything the protagonist is not.
Tyler si uvědomil něco, co hlavní hrdina ne. Když vypravěč ztratí vše, na čem mu záleží, Tyler vysvětlí prázdnotu hmotného vlastnictví; naráží na marnost mělkých činností a snahy být dokonalý. Řekne vypravěči, aby pustil a „nechal žetony padat, kam mohou“. Stoici věřili, že pouze vynaloží úsilí na změnu toho, co máme pod kontrolou. Jedna věc, kterou máme pod kontrolou, je nepřát si to, co našemu životu nedává smysl.
Yoda ve Star Wars
The Jedis in Star Wars have a way of life similar to the Stoics. The dark side, the antagonistic counter-balance to the Jedis, believe in passion. They covet power and the way to get it is through an emotional drive. But being controlled by your emotions is slavery. You lose the ability to see situations clearly and rationally. The Stoics knew this; Epictetus said: “he who is capable of angering you becomes your master.”
In the prequel-movies Anakin, in a state of grief, anger, and fear, goes down the path to the dark side. He destroys the Jedi but is unable to save the one he loves.
Andy dufresne in Shawshank Redemption
Andy Dufresne is a banker and an upstanding citizen that is framed for the murder of his wife and her lover. He is sentenced to a long prison sentence to be served at Shawshank prison. Andy doesn’t become enraged by the justice system — He doesn’t become dejected by his predicament. He instead proceeds by creating a dignified life for himself. He never loses himself in the face of hardship. He makes a group of friends, that together battle to keep their humanity.
Mark Watney in The Martian
The movie The Martian is based on the Andy Weir book by the same name. It tells the story of Mark Watney, a NASA botanist that gets stranded on Mars. Watney’s team leaves him behind, presuming him dead, in a dramatic departure of the planet.
What most astronauts might have seen as a cruel death sentence, Watney sees as a set of problems. In what can only be described as a story of dealing with adversity, Mark Watney does what it takes to stay alive, and come home to earth.
“At some point, everything is going to go south on you. Everything is going to go south, and you’re going to say ‘This is it. This is how I end.’ Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That’s all it is. You just begin. You do the math, you solve one problem. Then you solve the next one, and then the next, and if you solve enough problems, you get to come home.” — Mark Watney
These were the best examples of Stoicism in movies that I could think of. There are probably more great examples in other books or films; feel free to suggest any you can think of in the comments below!
Stoic Philosophy in Pop Culture: Exploring Stoicism in Movies and Literature
Ahoj, přátelé! Dnes se ponoříme do něčeho trochu jiného, ale super fascinujícího: stoická filozofie v popkultuře. Ano, čtete správně! Stoicismus, starověká filozofie, která nás naučila ovládat své emoce a žít ctnostný život, tiše pronikl do světa filmů a literatury. Je čas odhalit moudrost ukrytou v našich oblíbených příbězích.
Stoicism Goes Hollywood
Remember that time you watched “Gladiator” and felt inspired by Maximus Decimus Meridius? That’s Stoicism in action! The strong, silent, and resilient hero embodies Stoic principles as he faces adversity with courage and wisdom. From “Gladiator” to “The Dark Knight,” Stoicism has left its mark on some of the biggest blockbusters.
Literature’s Stoic Touch
But it’s not just in movies that Stoicism shines. Literature has been a treasure trove of Stoic wisdom for centuries. Take a journey through the pages of “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius, and you’ll find pearls of Stoic wisdom that resonate with modern readers. Stoic characters like Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird” teach us invaluable life lessons.
Why Does Stoicism Resonate?
So, why does Stoicism continue to resonate in pop culture? Maybe it’s because, in a world of chaos and uncertainty, we crave the timeless wisdom that Stoicism offers. We’re drawn to characters who face adversity head-on, maintain their composure, and strive for moral excellence. It’s the philosophy that reminds us to focus on what we can control and accept what we can’t.
In a nutshell, Stoicism in pop culture serves as a timeless reminder that inner strength and virtue never go out of style.
#StoicismInPopCulture #AncientWisdom #ModernStories #MovieMagic #LiteraryStoicism
And there you have it, friends! We’ve explored the fascinating intersection of Stoic philosophy and pop culture. So next time you’re watching a movie or reading a book, keep an eye out for those Stoic influences; they might just change the way you see the world.
Stay tuned for more intriguing insights into the world of philosophy and pop culture. Until then, keep those Stoic vibes alive!
Movies about Stoicism
Great cinema, and great art in general, can enhance our lives with a sense of joy and meaning. Such excellent films make us laugh, cry, and get us thinking about the deeper significance of life. I’ve been wanting to write a post for a while about some highly philosophical films that I really enjoyed watching. Below, I’ll share three of the best with you.
For those who haven’t seen these films, while I summarize and discuss the philosophical themes, I think I have been careful not to reveal anything that would spoil the movie or reveal the entire plot.
Finally, before we dive in, one other excellent movie that tops my list of philosophical films is the sword and sorcery film Solomon Kane, ale už jsem to podrobně sepsal v roce 2016, který si můžete přečíst zde. Nyní pojďme diskutovat o třech dalších skvělých filozofických filmech, které dnes večer můžete zhlédnout:
Master and Commander (2003)
Master and Commander: Odvrácená strana světa, je nejen filozofický, ale může být také mým nejoblíbenějším filmem všech dob. Všechno na něm je skvělé: klasická hudba, herecké výkony, dialogy a humor, zvuk a kamera (za kterou získal Oscary), vše až do těch nejmenších historických detailů zobrazujících život válečného muže na počátku 19. století. .
Russel Crowe je nejlepší jako kapitán britského námořnictva Jack Aubrey v této úžasné filmové adaptaci vynikající série 21 knih Aubrey-Maturin historické fikce od Patricka O’Briana. Stejně jako akční film jako dobový kousek (a můj seznam 10 nejlepších dobových dramatických filmů si můžete přečíst zde), film sleduje „Luckyho Jacka“ a jeho loď HMS Surprise kolem Jižní Ameriky během napoleonských válek. Lucky Jack spolu se svým přítelem Stephenem Maturinem, lodním lékařem, pronásleduje větší a rychlejší francouzskou fregatu Acheron, která se pekelně rozhodla zavést válku do Pacifiku. Film obsahuje několik vynikajících bitevních sekvencí a to, co se děje mezi námořními bitvami, je stejně zajímavé jako návštěva přírodovědce na Galapágách, útěk před nepřítelem a konflikt na palubě lodi.
Aubrey and Maturin are a likable and persuasive a pair of characters, and their friendship is as compelling as any in fiction, elucidating the themes of duty, morality, and reason. Maturin is an idealist, Aubrey a military man and realist, and the dialog between them is fascinating at times. In spite of Aubrey’s bluster and talk of “the service,” he is also a humanitarian and wit, with a surprising degree of feeling.
Master and Commander is a philosophical film in many ways, as it explores questions like: What constitutes just rule? What makes a good leader? Do people need governance and when does such governance cross the line into tyranny? What is fellowship and what happens when we deny fellowship to others? When is it alright to choose the lesser of two evils? Does pride cause us to make mistakes? What of the corrupting influence of power?
Director Peter Weir invites us to contemplate these issues. Even when he raises the theme of power corrupting, he provides a counter-example of Admiral Horatio Nelson, the most powerful man in the British Navy at the time, for whom Aubrey has nothing but admiration. Will Aubrey allow his prideful pursuit of the larger faster French ship to trump his moral obligations to others?
This movie is an underrated masterpiece, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
My Dinner with Andre (1981)
Moje večeře s Andreou je hluboce filozofický film, který zkoumá smysl života, krizi středního věku, materialismus, vztahy a nejlepší způsob, jak najít štěstí.
Struggling playwright Wally is having dinner with his old friend Andre , who he has been avoiding since Andre left his career as a theater director in 1975 and embarked on an extended midlife crisis where he traveled around exploring eastern spirituality, near-death experience, and utopian communes.
I když může být film pro některé diváky pomalý, tento artový hit z 1980. let rozhodně není nudný, i když se film téměř celý odehrává v newyorské francouzské restauraci, kde spolu stolují Wally a Andre.
As the conversation progresses, we learn that Andre believes that technological progress is wrong and only hurts people. Andre also idealizes Asian cultures and espouses tropes of Orientalism when he talks about his “enlightening” experiences with Tibetan life and peoples.
Wally becomes increasingly confused by Andre’s new beliefs and behaviors, challenging some of the methods and purpose of Andre’s experiences. Yet it is clear that Wally is not necessarily totally convinced of his own more traditionally western, scientific rationalist beliefs either.
While not necessarily a film I would want to watch over and over, this is an interesting movie driven by potent dialog about varied philosophical ideas.
Čtenář (2008)
Poprvé jsem viděl Čtenář recently, even though it won all kinds of accolades back when it came out in 2008. While more uncomfortable to watch than both of the other movies on this list, Čtenář struck me as intensely philosophical, as it explores our treatment of others, the insidiousness of guilt, keeping shameful secrets, the banality of evil, and ultimately, the redemptive power of art.
Čtenář je to skoro jako dva filmy v jednom. První polovina sleduje vášnivý románek mezi teenagerem (Michael) a osamělou ženou z dělnické třídy (Hannah) v Německu po druhé světové válce. Michael zjistí, že Hanna miluje, když jí někdo předčítá, a jejich fyzický vztah se prohlubuje – Michael jí předčítá Odyssey, Huck Finn, a The Lady with the Little Dog. In spite of their intense affair, Hanna abruptly disappears and Michael is left confused and heartbroken. Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing Nazi war crime trials, he is shocked to find Hanna back in his life, this time as a defendant in the courtroom.
Be warned: this film has a lot of sex. While the sex scenes didn’t bother me per se, the film actually makes a good case as to why early sexuality, especially between adults and teens, is morally problematic. Note that the age of consent in Germany at the time was 15, so while there was nothing illegal about the relationship, 15 is quite young by contemporary American standards, where the age of consent is 18, and perhaps with good reason. It might be difficult for a teen to throw off the influence that such early experience has on them, as is the case with Michael. The relationship and the hurt it caused his still developing sense of self, haunt him years later.
Despite the sexuality, I suspect that many of those who don’t like the film are offended by its treatment of the other major moral problem; the banality of evil. As an aside, this moral problem, first discussed in such terms by Hannah Arendt in response to the trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann, is discussed in an interesting debate between Kevin Kennedy and Massimo Pigliucci in our book Stoicism Today: Selected Writings Volume 4. You can read their respective essays here and here. While I tend to agree with Kennedy that Arendt/Pigliucci are wrong about the banality of evil as it applies to Eichmann in particular, who seemed to know exactly what he was doing and was motivated by his psychopathy, Arendt/Pigliucci are probably correct that the evil of rank and file Nazis and average Germans was much more from ignorance/banality, chalked up to «just following orders,» going along with the herd, and so on.
Interestingly, this problem of the banality of evil applies to Hannah in Čtenář. When the judge asks her why she did what she did, her explanation reveals banality. But then she turns the question around on the judge asking, «What would you have done?» And it’s a legitimate question. There are enormous pressures in all human societies to go along. Many people like to think that had they been there, they would have always been on the «right side of history.» However recent events, where some were clamoring for the Covid unvaccinated to be punished or put into camps for example, really calls this assumption into question.
While Michael can’t forgive Hannah for her secrets and her crimes, his response to her is what the film is truly about — the redemptive power of art through great literature.
I hope you have enjoyed this post and get a chance to watch the recommended films!
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