Winter is coming and so is the “Game of Thrones” philosophy course being offered at Texas State fall 2019.
Philosophy professor Carrie Crisp, prior students and fellow faculty decided to base a philosophy course around the hit show as well as book series “Game of Thrones” is based on.
The series grew in popularity over the past seven years it aired on HBO, which encouraged students from previous semesters to think on how the show could be produced into an academic-based course: PHIL 4388.
To keep the course educational with the implementation of philosophical concepts and ideas, the “Game of Thrones” inspired class revolves around the political, cultural and environmental aspects of the show.
Craig Hanks, philosophy department chair, said the main idea for PHIL 4388 is not to discuss the premise of the show, but to look deeper into the concepts and metaphorical ideas behind the plot.
“It is our goal to cultivate skills of thinking such as reading, writing and communicating about difficult topics to help us have a better understanding of those philosophical idea to enrich our lives,” Hanks said.
The course allows students to dive into something relatable while applying philosophical concepts.
“Looking at the way they talk about these topics and ideas, you can allow the students to see the world as their own, especially when referencing a fictional world,” Hanks said.
Dante Boggiano, philosophy sophomore, is enrolled in the course. He became a huge fan of the show once season four aired, so integrating philosophy was the perfect way to merge two things together he loves.
“The syllabus shows we are going to apply philosophical studies to the TV show and that’s what I am really looking forward to, especially the philosophy of aestheticism and talking about how the characters would dress up with armor and robes,” Boggiano said.
Amanda Beaver, exercise and sports science junior, is an avid “Game of Thrones” watcher and anticipates hearing about the class.
“Sadly, my schedule did not allow me the time to take the class this year, but I look forward to hearing about the different concepts learned and how they will apply to not only the show, but the lives of everyday Texas State students,” Beaver said.
Fear may cut deeper than swords, but there is nothing to be afraid of when taking Professor Crisp’s class to dive deeper into the philosophical side of “Game of Thrones.”