Jennifer L. McMahon - The Philosophy of the Western

Philosophy and the Western

Jennifer L. McMahon and B. Steve Csaki

What is it that compels people's fascination with the American West? What motivated (and still motivates) individuals to pull up stakes and head west? Why do the travails of the cowboy remain so captivating when cowboy culture is virtually extinct? Arguably, the perennial appeal of the American West is anchored in myth, a myth whose power persists in large part because it finds expression, among other places, in the literary and cinematic genre known as the western.

The myth that westerns convey is both anchored in the history of the West and itself helped shape the historical settlement of the American frontier. golden opportunities; however, this is rarely what they found. While rooted in history, the myth of the American West quickly took on a life of its own. And while the historical reality to which it refers is all but lost, the myth of the American West is alive and well, and continues to command an abiding interest in the western genre.

There are few genres that capture the hearts of their audience like the western. Though many westerns have simple plots and stock characters, they also have an unwavering appeal. This collection of essays is focused principally on western film, specifically the American western. Though there is ample historical and literary criticism of the genre, little scholarship exists on the relationship between the western and philosophy. This volume addresses this lack by focusing on the philosophy of the western.

At first glance, westerns and philosophy may seem to have little to do with one another. Whereas philosophers epitomize the contemplative life, western heroes exemplify the active one. Indeed, the characters in westerns typically eschew the intellectualism associated with philosophy. Nonetheless, as the essays in this collection show, the relationship between philosophy and the western is significant because philosophy not only influenced the history of the American West, it also influenced the western genre. Indeed, as several chapters in this volume attest, some of the canonical features of western films trace their history back to the early days of western philosophy, days when individuals like Plato and Aristotle were the new sheriffs in town, and logic and rhetoric were used to cut down the opposition rather than a Winchester or a Colt. Examining the relationship between westerns and philosophy is also important because philosophy can help us understand the western and its appeal. Because philosophers aim to understand human nature, they frequently examine commonplace attitudes and desires, perspectives that often find expression in westerns, and desires that they often fulfill. Furthermore, philosophic analysis of western films is significant because it sheds light on various aspects of American culture and values, helping us come to a clearer understanding of the American mind. Finally, to the extent that westerns illustrate a number of well-known philosophies, examining the link between westerns and philosophy is worthwhile because westerns can help us obtain a firmer grasp on philosophic theories and concepts that might otherwise seem intractably abstract.

One of the obvious interests that philosophy shares with the western has already been mentioned: history. One of the earliest philosophic theories of art issued from the ancient Greeks. It held that art is imitation, or mimesis, and this theory retains adherents today. The mimetic theory of art maintains that art is a representation of reality: namely, that it reflects, or mirrors, life. Perhaps more than any other cinematic genre, the western is grounded in, and reflects, the historical phenomenon of western settlement. As various authors in this collection discuss, westerns command philosophic interest not merely because they reflect aspects of a definitive period in American history, but also because they transcend that frontier, representing either the period in which they were produced or more enduring aspects of the human condition.