When Socrates said that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” he spurred on centuries of philosophical studies – studies that some say have become far too academic.

The film Examined Life takes the notion of philosophy out of the dark classrooms and dusty libraries and into the streets. Don’t be mistaken – the film doesn’t make any practical applications of philosophy, but it does discuss some deep topics and how they can be applied to life.

The subjects of the documentary, eight leading contemporary philosophers, are quite passionate about their areas of study. Each speaker examines slightly different notions, from applied ethics to existential reality to equality of human rights. What each of them feels is paramount is for every person to be engaged in a meaningful examination of their own lives.

Director Astra Taylor wisely chooses to film her subjects away from their offices and in the streets, which goes a long way to keep this film from becoming a stodgy talking-heads piece. Her subjects are in constant motion as they walk through Central Park, up and down Fifth Avenue, around Chicago, amongst people in an airport, riding in the back of a car and rowing gently across a pond.

This technique not only gives the film a kinetic quality, but it attempts to show the audience that philosophy is a dynamic topic, one that is important not only to the academics and the intellectuals interviewed, but also to the average person.

The subject matter is quite dense and passionately argued, and since each of the eight philosophers only has roughly 10 minutes of air time, the outpouring of their ethos comes rapidly and can be a little much for the average viewer to take in all at once.

The film stumbles in the fact that even though the filmmakers are trying to bring philosophy back to the people, the austerity and lofty topics discussed keep the subjects isolated. The technique of having them on the street only highlights this further as the philosophers show very little concern for the actual people around them, even as they pontificate about the plight of the common man.

One is left feeling as the film ends that, although they are quite passionate about what they say, this group of intellectuals may never be able to put their ideas into action.

Published in Volume 63, Number 22 of The Uniter (March 5, 2009)