Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy

Description

The science fiction genre has become increasingly influential in mainstream popular culture, evolving into one of the most engaging storytelling tools we use to think about technology and consider the shape of the future. Along the way, it has also become one of the major lenses we use to explore important philosophical questions. Professor Biography......Page 3 Table of Contents......Page 5 Course Scope......Page 7 L 1- Inception and the Interpretation of Art......Page 10 Inception: A Summary......Page 12 Authorial Intent......Page 16 How to Interpret Inception......Page 17 The Matrix: A Summary......Page 21 Descartes’s Problem......Page 22 What Is Knowledge?......Page 23 Should We Always Choose  Knowledge over Ignorance?......Page 27 Is Having Knowledge Impossible?......Page 28 L 3- The Matrix Sequels and Human Free Will......Page 32 Reloaded and Free Will......Page 33 Reloaded and Determinism......Page 35 Reloaded and Compatibilism......Page 36 Reloaded and Threats to Free Will......Page 38 Revolutions and Belief in Free Will......Page 41 The Adjustment Bureau: A Summary......Page 45 Fate versus Free Will......Page 46 Fate at Work: Possibility 1......Page 47 Fate at Work: Possibility 2......Page 48 Fate at Work: Possibility 3......Page 50 Contact: A Summary......Page 55 Personal Experience versus Scientific Reasoning......Page 56 The Compatibility of Science and Religion......Page 61 L 6- Arrival: Aliens and Radical Translation......Page 67 How Likely Would an Alien Visitation Be?......Page 68 What Effect on Society Would an Alien Visitation Have?......Page 70 Would We Be Able to Communicate with Aliens Once They’re Here?......Page 71 Radical Translation......Page 73 Interstellar......Page 80 Back to the Future......Page 86 Doctor Who and Causal Loops......Page 91 Futurama and the Grandfather Paradox......Page 96 Alternate Universes and Multiverses......Page 103 “Parallels” and Quantum Mechanics......Page 108 L 10- Dark City, Dollhouse, and Personal Identity......Page 114 Preserving Personal Identity: Memory and the Human Soul......Page 115 The Preservation of Psychology......Page 118 Physical Continuity and Embodiment Cognition......Page 119 Perdurantism......Page 120 L 11- Westworld and A.I. Artificial Intelligence......Page 124 Westworld and the Theory of Bicameralism......Page 125 Integrated Information Theory......Page 128 A.I. and the Turing Test......Page 130 Objections to Sentience in Androids......Page 133 The Development of AI......Page 137 Unintended Consequences of AI......Page 142 Moral Treatment of AI......Page 146 Simulated Worlds......Page 150 The Thirteenth Floor......Page 153 Objective versus Subjective Probability......Page 154 Quantum Mechanics and Simulation......Page 157 Black Mirror: “Nosedive”......Page 161 The Orville: “Majority Rule”......Page 164 The Panopticon......Page 165 Orwell’s 1984......Page 166 The Original Trilogy......Page 171 The Prequel Trilogy......Page 173 The New Star Wars......Page 175 Serenity, Firefly, and Blake’s 7......Page 182 Rebellion against Government......Page 184 Types of Freedom......Page 186 Government Restrictions and Protections......Page 189 Methods of Rebellion......Page 190 Starship Troopers and Fascism......Page 193 Doctor Who and Pacifism......Page 198 Just War Theory......Page 201 The Prime Directive......Page 205 Postcolonialism......Page 210 Epistemological Humility......Page 212 Noninterference and Unintended Consequences......Page 214 L 19- Capitalism in Metropolis, Elysium, and Panem......Page 218 Metropolis......Page 219 Elysium......Page 223 The Hunger Games......Page 226 L 20- Snowpiercer and Climate Change......Page 230 A Philosophic Analysis of Climate Change......Page 231 Snowpiercer and Lukewarmers......Page 236 Overpopulation......Page 244 Euthanasia......Page 246 Arguments of Self-Determination and Well-Being......Page 247 L 22- Gattaca and the Ethics of Reproduction......Page 256 Abortion......Page 257 Designer Babies......Page 260 Cloning......Page 264 The Handmaid’s Tale......Page 269 First-Wave Feminism......Page 271 Second-Wave Feminism......Page 272 Third-Wave Feminism......Page 274 Religion......Page 275 2001: A Space Odyssey......Page 282 The Concept of the Übermensch......Page 286 Bibliography......Page 293 Image Credits......Page 310