Examined Life

"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Plato

Examined Life is a documentary by Astra Taylor. It is a series of ten-minute interviews with various contemporary philosophers in various cities. Notables include Peter Singer, Judith Butler, and Slavoj Zizek. Aside from being chock full of really interesting ideas, it is also an attempt to get philosophy out of the ivory tower and onto the streets. In each interview, the scholar is placed in an environment that somehow reflects his/her ideas. Singer is interviewed on 5th Avenue in NYC, discussing the moral implications of living the sweet life while others don't even have the bare necessities. Judith Butler walks along the streets of San Francisco with a girl in a wheelchair, and they have a conversation about the social construction of disability. In each interview, the subject and the camera never stop moving, which makes for some innovative cinematography.

I highly recommend this film to anyone with any level of interest in philosophy. It can be a teaser or a sampler for the beginner, or a fascinating mosaic of modern thought for the seasoned scholar. It is insightful, creative, and humorous. It is not by any means light, but all of these philosophers seem to have a great sense of humour, so you get a few laughs in the process.

This idea of reviving philosophy as a vibrant social activity, as opposed to a rigorous academic discipline, really struck a chord with me. While I love what I study, I often find myself wondering what the use of it is if it's so obscure and inaccessible to the common person. There are some great ideas out there, but few of them can be grasped without a significant background in the history of Western thought. On the other hand, bookstores are littered with pop philosophy, which is accessible, but often has to sacrifice the depth and breadth of its content. This movie presented a happy middle ground, resurrecting Socrates' idea that philosophy is a constantly evolving discourse, not a dogma immortalized in books.