Philosophia et Ars

I found it quite interesting, in Empire of Dreams, that George Lucas was so heavily influenced by various philosophical topics and writers. While it was certainly obvious that the Star Wars films were pieced together from a variety of religious and philosophical traditions, I had never realized that Lucas had spent a period so heavily engaged with such things. I feel that philosophical questions can often lead to some very thought-provoking storytelling. Questions and themes found in philosophy can really connect to people's intellect and their concerns, involving them in the movie instead of just making them a spectator. As a philosophy major, I have encountered a few different texts that would make some rather interesting components or bases for stories that I think I might like to tell. By injecting philosophical ideals into film, art, or literature, we can jump from sharing ideas and arguments with the academic types to engaging and enriching the masses with a more accessible medium.