Inception and philosophy: ideas to die for

Description

Inception starring Leonardo DiCaprio is the most philosophical thought-provoking and disturbing movie since The Matrix. It was the "existential heist film" of the year 2010. The very idea that our dreams and reality are one and the same has caused many sleepless nights and deep vexing conversations around the world. The spontaneous association of the film with philosophical dream theories suggests that Inception is underpinned by deep philosophical urges. What is the nature of the world? Are there dreams within dreams? Inception abounds with flashing insights many of which have been borrowed from philosophers. For thousands of years dreams represented a way of finding hidden memories desires and fears. In Inception and Philosophy philosophers examine the complicated dream theme from various angles. On a first level the film seems to be a thrilling illustration of Descartes' dream argument because people cannot be sure that they are not... CONTENTS Who's Putting Ideas in Your Head? Level 1 | Come Back to Reality, Please 1. How to Keep Track of Reality SYLVIA WENMACKERS 2. The Mad Neuroscience of Inception BERIT BROGAARD 3. Inception and Deception NATHAN ANDERSEN 4. Plugging in to the Experience Machine MICHAEL RENNETT Level 2 | We're Not in Your Dream 5. You Have No Idea JANET TESTERMAN 6. The Business of Inception DANIEL P. MALLOY 7. Mental Burglary MARCUS SCHULZKE 8. Right and Wrong in Dreams JOSEPH GARVIN Level 3 | The Infinite Staircase 9. Ariadne's Clue to Life, the Universe, and Everything THOMAS KAPPER 10. Once Upon a Time RANDALL E. AUXIER 11. The Story of Reality EMILIE DIONNE 12. Butterfly and Spinning Top HIU M. CHAN Level 4 | The Most Resilient Parasite 13. Dream Bigger, Darling JOSHUA RICHARDSON AND ORA MCWILLIAMS 14. Shared Dreams in Virtual Worlds MATTHEW BROPHY 15. The Movie as a Thinking Machine THORSTEN BOTZ-BORNSTEIN 16. Where Time Stands Still INDALECIO GARCIA Level 5 | Downwards Is the Only Way Forwards 17. Dreams, Mourning, and Desire NICOLAS FLOURY 18. The Undiscovered Country Called Experience JASON J. HOWARD 19. Inception's Faith in Everyday Life CHRISTOPHE D. RINGER 20. Building and Dwelling in Inception VALENTIN HUSSON 21. Dream Time RANDALL E. AUXIER Some of Our Totems (Bibliography) Just Projections of Someone's Subconscious (Author bios) Architectural Code (Index)