How Game of Thrones is of our Moment: Philosophy, Politics & Westeros

How is Game of Thrones, a show loosely based on the 15th Century War of the Roses, represented of our cultural moment? How are the tropes it draws upon and the structure of the narrative a product of the latter half of the 20th century? Unlike many of predecessors, it is fundamentally a postmodern show – a show that decentres and problematizes timeless devices like the heroes journey, teleological storytelling, and narrative realism. Game of Thrones is about how power subjectifies. How even the players at the top are moved by a diversity of forces greater than they are. In this video, I undertake a Game of Thrones analysis, looking at the philosophy, politics, and history that underpins the story through thinkers like Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault. Then & Now is FAN-FUNDED! Support me on Patreon and pledge as little as $1 per video: http://patreon.com/user?u=3517018 Or send me a one-off tip of any amount and help me make more videos: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=JJ76W4CZ2A8J2 Buy on Amazon through this link to support the channel: https://amzn.to/2ykJe6L Follow me on: Facebook: http://fb.me/thethenandnow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thethenandnow/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lewlewwaller Credits: Stock footage provided by Videvo, downloaded from https://www.videvo.net Sources: Susan Pedersen, What is Political History Now? In What is History Now? Giacomo Giudici, From New Diplomatic History to New Political History: The Rise of the Holistic Approach DAVID M. CRAIG (2010). ‘HIGH POLITICS’ AND THE ‘NEW POLITICAL HISTORY’. The Historical Journal, 53, pp 453-475 doi:10.1017/S0018246X10000129 Zeynep Tefekci, The Real Reason Faces Hate the Last Season of Game of Thrones, Scientific America http://houselorch.blogspot.com/2016/02/knowledge-power-and-game-of-thrones.html Pierre Bourdieu, Outline of a Theory of Practice