Watching a documentary is always a good idea to culturalise us. If it also makes us think, so much the better.

If you are simply in the right mood to watch a piece of this film genre, you will enjoy watching some of the following philosophy documentaries , as they will lead you to learn and ask questions while having a good time.

Recommended philosophy documentaries

The expression of philosophical themes in audiovisual format is a very desirable option for learning about certain topics . In the following we will see documentaries that deal with very important philosophical themes in the field of philosophy.

1. Greek Philosophers

The Greeks laid the foundations of Western philosophical thought . Thanks to their way of reasoning, a solid set of hypotheses about the nature of the world in which we live emerged, as well as the establishment of formal logic.

The Greeks intuited various theories that have been contrasted and validated or refuted by modern science, and many of their moral ideas were incorporated into Christian moral doctrine . Also with regard to political ideas, Europe and the West in general have had a fundamental influence on the ancient Greek thinkers.

The impact of Greek thinkers has been unquestionable, and in this documentary we can make a brief review of their entire philosophical legacy.

2. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud studied neurology in Paris, specifically the applications of hypnosis in the treatment of hysteria with French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. Then, when he returned to Vienna, he developed the cathartic method in collaboration with Josef Breuer. But he gradually abandoned these methods to focus on free association and the interpretation of dreams, which gave way to what we know as psychoanalysis .

The remembrance of psychogenic traumas as the origin of symptoms gave rise to the aetiological theory of different neuroses, the starting point of psychoanalysis. Freud dedicated the rest of his life to enlarging the theoretical body of a model that has been and is fundamental to understanding the history of psychology, society and art.

3. Lacan: Reinventing Psychoanalysis

This documentary produced by Arte France and L’INA in 2001 shows the life and work of Jaques Lacan , one of the most important psychoanalysts who followed in Freud’s footsteps.

In Lacan’s work, the study of different psychological phenomena such as paranoia in order to understand human nature stands out. Lacan also explores the scope of words . Understanding that language is structured by the unconscious, he abandons the science of biology conceived after Charles Darwin to reveal the subversiveness of psychoanalysis.

4. Zizek!

This documentary is dedicated to the philosopher, psychoanalyst and cultural critic Slavoj ‘i’ek. The thought of Jaques Lacan is very present in his work, which also drinks from Marxism.
In the documentary one can appreciate how the philosopher tends to use popular culture to give an example of his theories . One of the most entertaining philosophy documentaries.

5. Human, Too Human

Human, Too Human is a three-part television documentary series co-produced by the BBC and RM Arts in 1999. It is based on the lives of three great philosophers: Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre .

The documentary focuses on the school of philosophical thought known as Existentialism, and is named after the book written by Nietzsche in 1878 Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits (in German: Menschliches, Allzumenschliches: Ein Buch fĂĽr freie Geister).

6. The Zen Mind

This documentary tells us about Zen Buddhism in Japan, explaining the two main schools that exist: the Rinzai School and the Soto School .

The Rinzai Zen School is characterized by the emphasis on KenshĹŤ (enlightenment or true nature) as the gateway to authentic Buddhism. Training for enlightenment allows one to attain wisdom for the proper functioning of everyday activities.

The Soto School is distinguished by its focus on the practice of Shikantaza, a unique approach to Zazen that translates into “silent enlightenment” or “sitting. It is based on full attention to the present moment.

7. Carl Jung – The World Within, in his own words

This documentary features the famous and renowned Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist, psychologist and essayist . The basis of the documentary are fragments of two interviews that could already be catalogued as legendary.

Jung was a key figure in the early stage of psychoanalysis. He later founded the school of complex psychology and depth psychology or also known as analytical psychology. According to Jung, our essence is determined by this force of internal reality. Jung especially studied the field of dreams.

8. Pierre Bourdieu: images of Algeria

Interesting documentary with the collaboration of several teachers, focused on the figure of the thinker and sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and his way of understanding the world in a period as turbulent as the 20th century.

9. Nietzsche’s Days in Turin

In this biographical documentary on the life of Friedrich Nietzsche, the last days of this philosopher in the city of Turin are reproduced, just before he began to experience severe mental disorders. A story that serves to understand the vitalist thinking of this German intellectual and the way in which his experiences left an emotional mark on his philosophy.