TV-Philosophy: How TV Series Change Our Thinking

The TV series has a significant impact on our lives, shaping our philosophical thinking and providing us with a new ethics based on the narrative texture of characters in everyday situations. This approach democratizes philosophy and offers us a unique way to understand and engage with the world.

Format: Hardback
Length: 122 pages
Publication date: 27 June 2023
Publisher: University of Exeter Press

This groundbreaking book explores the profound impact of television series on our lives, offering a philosophical and ethical perspective. Sandra Laugier argues that television, as a ubiquitous expression of popular culture worldwide, has a transformative effect on the practice of philosophy in everyday life. Drawing on Stanley Cavell's insights into film and ordinary experience, Laugier contends that we are deeply influenced by the formative role played by the TV series we watch, and by the ways they become intertwined with our daily routines.

Philosophical thinking embedded in series empowers individuals to engage with the world, understand its complexities, and make meaningful connections. Through our relationships with TV series, we cultivate our own tastes and skills, shaping our unique experience of life. This form of "series-philosophy" serves as a democratizing force, enabling individuals to participate in philosophical discourse and develop their own perspectives.

Moreover, television series offer a new ethical framework, challenging traditional notions of morality based on general rules and abstract principles. Laugier suggests that morality can be found in the narrative texture of characters in everyday situations, facing specific ethical dilemmas, and with whom we form attachments that shape our moral education. This approach offers surprising insights and encourages us to reflect on our actions and choices in new and meaningful ways.

In conclusion, this groundbreaking book provides a comprehensive exploration of the hold of television series on our lives, offering a philosophical and ethical lens through which to understand their impact. By examining the transformative power of television, Laugier encourages us to reevaluate our relationships with this medium and its potential to shape our intellectual and moral development.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781804130216