Exploring Philosophy with The Good Place: Season 1
In this 7-week class, students will discuss major philosophy themes and learn to critically analyze pop culture through the TV show The Good Place.
Michelle Parrinello-Cason
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(64)
What's included
7 live meetings
5 hrs 15 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
Students will receive a "viewing guide" each week that gives them some questions to answer about the assigned episodes (approximately 2-3 episodes per week). In our discussion, we'll go over the guides, explore the episodes in more depth, and learn about the philosophical terms and concepts relevant to those episodes. Students will also receive links to resources to explore the philosophical themes more deeply. Some of the themes covered in Season 1 include moral imperative, the trolley problem, identity theory, and altruism. Depending on the number of students enrolled in the class and the students' preferences, we'll either divide into groups or conduct individual presentations as the "final project." Students will have options about what they want to do for their final presentation. These will include independently researching one of the themes to give a more in-depth exploration of it or making an argument about a particular point of view.
Learning Goals
Students will gain an understanding of some key terms used in the study of philosophy (particularly moral philosophy and personal identity). Students will also learn how to critically "read" a television show as an academic practice. These skills of observation, note taking, discussion, and synthesis are critical thinking skills that are useful in virtually every academic discipline.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
The Good Place is rated TV-PG. It plays on primetime TV, so it meets the content standards for that requirement. There is veiled profanity ("fork this" and "bullshirt" are frequently used). There is also references (though no on-screen portrayal of) sex, drugs, and masturbation. The characters are sometimes portrayed drinking alcohol.
You can read more about the show's content at Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-good-place
Our discussions will be about moral philosophy, which means that there will be some questions of moral conduct that might include heavy topics. (The classic "trolley problem," for instance, asks students if it's okay to turn a switch to guide a moving train to kill someone on a track rather than let it kill three people on another track.)
Supply List
Learners will need access to The Good Place. Season 1 is currently available on Netflix and Hulu. It can be rented through several streaming services and can also be obtained on DVD for purchase or through many libraries.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined December, 2017
5.0
64reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I have a PhD in English and have written professional articles on pop culture comedy as well as used pop culture to teach critical thinking and analysis skills to high school and college students.
I am also a huge fan of this show. I have been discussing it with many of the kids I teach in my local homeschool co-op (including my own daughter) and have found it to be an engaging and relatable platform to talk about very deep subjects in an accessible way. I cannot wait to teach this class!Reviews
Live Group Class
$60
for 7 classes1x per week, 7 weeks
45 min
Completed by 32 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
3-8 learners per class
