A Singapore high school teacher told me that he screens Moving House to his students. Normally it is shown as part of social studies so I was surprised when he mentioned that he showed Moving House as part of his philosophy class. I didn’t even know they taught philosophy in high school. I asked him what topic of philosophy would warrant Moving House being shown, he said they are dealing with the question “What makes a Good Life?”. WTF! Posing this to 16 year olds? I suppose its never too early to ask this question though I have only just begun to grapple with it myself (and its collorary “How to Live?”), it is not easy to answer it . . even with some help
4 Responses to “A Good Life?”
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Philosophy as a subject in Singapore Secondary School education?? Mind to reveal which school is it? And what form of connotation does ‘Moving House’ have in regards with “a Good Life”? That teacher could have just get his students to watch ‘The Human Spirit’ every Monday night on okto channel and ‘The Tuesday Report’ every Tuesday night on channel 8. I reckon it would have served those kiddies much better. If all else fails, a good dose of Monty Python’s ‘The Meaning of Life’ should do the trick.
ACS (I), yes the choice of Moving House is a perverse or was he trying to be ironical. I vote for Monty Python?
I reckon he’s a secret admirer of you. Anyway, I just finished watched Moving House again, and the closest it has anything to do with the “Good Life” is the filial piety and family togetherness theme. Although Moving House is a very well-made docu, however, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know there are other more appropriate works out there in regards to the topic he’s teaching unless he’s a big admirer of you and your works. Singapore GaGa for him next?
Actually, it makes some sense to me (though I would make a case that Gravedigger’s Luck works better). I’m guessing the teacher juxtaposes Moving House with Aristotle’s theory of what makes for a good life, which considers qualities like virtue and rationality, and pleasure and wealth. It could work with Moving House’s theme of “upgrading.”
But hey, philosophers can make any text…philosophical. It’s a good super-power to have.