Taking Homer and Plato to the Movies
This session explores how we can guide students to see the relevance of the works of the ancient poets and philosophers in their own lives and understanding of the world in which they live.
Dr. Deborah Bonde, College of Western Idaho
What do these ancients have to do with modern movies? What would Homer think about Luke Skywalker, or would Plato understand Neo’s dilemma in The Matrix or young Jack’s tantrum when his mother tells him about “the world” in Room? Homer would probably claim that Luke Skywalker has much in common with Odysseus; Plato would probably congratulate these modern film-makers for so clearly illustrating his own “Allegory of the Cave”. This session takes a look at how we can guide students to see the relevance of the works of the ancient poets and philosophers in their own lives and understanding of the world in which they live.