Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy [4112] 9781980014522

Table of contents :
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

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Topic Philosophy & Intellectual History

Sci-Phi

Subtopic Modern Philosophy

Science Fiction as Philosophy Course Guidebook Professor David Kyle Johnson King’s College

Published by

THE GREAT COURSES