Are we consumers?Teaching the basics of critical theory with the help of the film Fight Club

This thesis explores ways to use the film Fight Club for teaching philosophy, primarily critical theory. It begins with a brief analysis of the film, its context, content, and gradually built cult status. The thesis then presents five 90-minute teaching blocks accompanied by worksheets. Each worksheet is accompanied by comments explaining the philosophical concepts discussed and the connection between philosophy and film. The first block deals with the concepts that most of the course works with, capitalism according to Adam Smith and Marxism according to Karl Marx. The second block focuses on the concept of consumerism as conceived by Erich Fromm and Friedrich Hayek. The third block problematizes the concept of the culture industry as formulated by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. The fourth block combines a review of all the concepts discussed so far with a debate on the real or supposed subversiveness of Fight Club. The fifth block reflects on the theme of gender roles in film and their connection to the second life of Fight Club. The conclusion of the thesis briefly discusses further philosophical and didactic potential (Jean-Francois Lyotard's concept of postmodernism and some of Friedrich Nietzsche's ideas). The thesis includes a reflection on the individual teaching blocks, based on...