Philosophy literally means love (philo) towards wisdom (sophia). Traditional philosophy struggled to find order in a world that was continually in flux. Philosophy, especially in both Plato and Aristotle, sought to seek wisdom from both the Cosmic and terrestrial realm for the betterment of humanity. Knowledge of humanity’s true order, will eventually reveal a startling potential, which is at core one of excellence. But reaching there constitutes a struggle, which requires thorough study on the order and hierarchies of existence.
Interestingly both philosophers gave space in their discourses on the power of the poetic work to reveal to man the order within which his life is conditioned. For example in our recent discussion on Aristotle’s Poetics, we learned of his claim that the poets are more philosophical than the historians. This is because the poets see structures and order underlying the phenomenon of life as opposed to the formal structures that interests the historian.
Presented for your meditation and philosophical commentary are two movies, Thank You for Smoking, and V for Vendetta. Consider as part of your reflections, what you think the core message(s) of the movies are, which profound moment(s) held the most meaning for you and why, and if the movies could be of relevance to you.
