Popularizing Philosophy Through Fiction and Popular Media: A Review and Analysis

Abstract

The primary purpose of my thesis is to present a sound method for rectifying the negative attitude toward philosophical writing that has lingered since its inception. Philosophy has rarely been appreciated outside of academic settings and I think that it is time for philosophers to try to deal effectively with this problem. My method for doing so involves rethinking the way in which philosophy is presented to the general public. More specifically, I ask philosophers to consider using fictional literature and other popular media to make their work more accessible to non-philosophers. My hope is that by making philosophy more popular, not only will philosophers be more respected in the community, but the public will also benefit from its method.

My first chapter takes a quick look at the history of philosophy to see how philosophy has traditionally been presented. I claim that the traditional methods are part of the reason for philosophy's public image. My second chapter takes a closer look at how philosophical ideas may be translated into fiction. In the third chapter, I look to other disciplines to find new methods for promoting a particular discipline that have never been explored by philosophers. In the fourth chapter I argue that philosophy should be taught in early education because it is the best way to get students to appreciate philosophy and because it will help to improve the grim state of lower level education.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2006

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Stanlick, Nancy A.

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Program

Philosophy

Subjects

Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic;Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0022116

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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