TURBA Lab Seminar: "Cinematic Philosophy"

Program

This seminar forms part of the Cycle of Seminars on Urban Transformation and Global Change.

Abstract

My research focuses on the analysis of the relationship between technology and individual freedom. I precisely try to underline the change in the perception towards technology due to the advent of information and communication technologies. I attempt to underline the effects of this change on individual freedom, especially on the novel restrictive factors of individual freedom. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to underline the significance of cinematic pieces as a unique way of philosophizing to introduce inductively established three types of restriction of individual freedom (Restriction of individual freedom OF COGNIZANT agents (X) BY EXTERNAL factors(Y), Restriction of individual freedom OF INCOGNIZANT agents(X) BY EXTERNAL factors(Y), Restriction of individual freedom OF INCOGNIZANT agents(X) BY INTERNAL factors(Y)) along with the novel type of restriction of individual freedom (Restriction of individual freedom OF COGNIZANT agents(X) BY INTERNAL factors(Y)). In this study, I intend to offer that cinematic pieces can be acknowledged as philosophical pieces which have the capacity to introduce philosophical conceptions and theories. Accordingly, I will propose cinematic philosophy as an alternative to oral and written philosophy traditions. Thus, in this study I aim to propose cinematic philosophy as a novel channel of philosophy in which the cinematic pieces, as I construe them, ontologically introduce each type of restriction of individual freedom as a contribution to the political philosophical scene. Subsequently, I will try to emphasize the significant capacity of film to philosophize and theorize, as the context of this research bases upon, on the relationship between individual freedom and technology. Therefore, my intention is to reveal cinematic pieces’ philosophical wisdom and place them within a theoretical context which in my perception contributes to the political philosophy literature in a novel cinematic philosophical way. Consequently, I consider designated cinematic pieces to independently include the theory itself on the restriction of individual freedom and as a cinematic philosopher my role is to reveal this theorizing that they propose.

Alkim Erol

Ph.D. student and a predoctoral researcher at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. She is currently working on how speculative visual fiction pieces, as components of cinematic philosophy, can accentuate and generate alternative formulations on the relationship between individual freedom and information and communication technologies. Her research interests focus on political philosophy, digital culture, and film-philosophy.

To participate in this session, please contact larguellesr@uoc.edu.