The classic 80's comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off turns out to be a perfect representation of the philosophy of Existentialism. This becomes very clear if we bring in two later Existentialist thinkers, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone De Beauvoir who wrote around WWII. Their beliefs are as follows: You have completed three journals on Ferris Bueller and Nietzsche's early existentialism: 1. What defines "good"? Is Ferris a good person? Why or why not? 2. Define Nietzsche's "Overman" versus "Last Man." Give examples from the film. 3. Where is Ferris or Cameron in Nietzsche's process of the "three metamorphoses of the spirit"? Now you will continue with three final journal entries about these new thinkers: 4. Would Heidegger see Ferris, Cameron and as "authentic"? Why or why not? 5. How is Rooney or another adult in the film an example of Sartre's "bad faith"? 6. What would Simone De Beauvoir tell Sloane about living authentically as a woman?
2 Comments
Max Lowrey
3/30/2017 04:47:46 pm
1) Good is defined as someone who doesn’t live their life by moral or societal codes, and one who does not devote their life to hating someone/thing else, but just living for the betterment of humankind (according to Nietzsche). Ferris is on the path to becoming a good person, but isn’t quite there yet. He’s free, but he isn’t using his freedom for anything productive.
Reply
Nora Fraser
4/2/2017 06:22:27 pm
4)Ferris would definitely be seen as authentic, because he takes control of his own life and makes his own decisions, regardless of rules he is meant to follow. Cameron is heading towards being authentic in the end of the movie when he destroys his father's car, rebelling against the rules his father has restrained him with for so long. However, throughout most of the movie Cameron has difficulty living authentically, as he is more of a follower than a leader.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2017
Categories |