(sub)TEXT: Society as Swindle in “The Third Man” (1949) | The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast | A Philosophy Podcast and Blog (opens in new tab)

The so-called “third man factor” is a phenomenon in which people in dire circumstances experience the presence of an extra person in their midst who gives comfort and aid when it’s most needed—a guardian angel, perhaps, or some figure of divine intervention. Harry Lime seems to have played just such a role in the lives of Holly Martins and Anna Schmidt. But is Lime from heaven or from hell? Perhaps a less-than-angelic third man might estrange rather than bring together, muddle rather than cla...