The Philosophy of Science Fiction Film (The Philosophy of Popular Culture)

The science fiction genre maintains a remarkable hold on the imagination and enthusiasm of the filmgoing public, captivating large audiences worldwide and garnering ever-larger profits. Science fiction films entertain the possibility of time travel and extraterrestrial visitation and imaginatively transport us to worlds transformed by modern science and technology. They also provide a medium through which questions about personal identity, moral agency, artificial consciousness, and other categories of experience can be addressed. In The Philosophy of Science Fiction Film , distinguished authors explore the storylines, conflicts, and themes of fifteen science fiction film classics, from Metropolis to The Matrix. Editor Steven M. Sanders and a group of outstanding scholars in philosophy, film studies, and other fields raise science fiction film criticism to a new level by penetrating the surface of the films to expose the underlying philosophical arguments, ethical perspectives, and metaphysical views. Sanders’s introduction presents an overview and evaluation of each essay and poses questions for readers to consider as they think about the films under discussion. The first section, “Enigmas of Identity and Agency,” deals with the nature of humanity as it is portrayed in Blade Runner , Dark City , Frankenstein , Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Total Recall . In the second section, “Extraterrestrial Visitation, Time Travel, and Artificial Intelligence,” contributors discuss 2001: A Space Odyssey , The Terminator , 12 Monkeys , and The Day the Earth Stood Still and analyze the challenges of artificial intelligence, the paradoxes of time travel, and the ethics of war. The final section, “Brave Newer World: Science Fiction Futurism,” looks at visions of the future in Metropolis, The Matrix , Alphaville , and screen adaptations of George Orwell’s 1984 . The Contributors To The Philosophy Of Science Fiction Film Use Classic Movies From The Science Fiction Genre To Explore Complex Philosophical Themes And Concepts In A Unique And Accessible Way. --from Publisher Description. An Introduction To The Philosophy Of Science Fiction Film / Steven M. Sanders -- Enigmas Of Identity And Agency -- What Is It To Be Human? : Blade Runner And Dark City / Deborah Knight And George Mcknight -- Recalling The Self : Personal Identity In Total Recall / Shai Biderman -- Picturing Paranoia : Interpreting Invasion Of The Body Snatchers / Steven M. Sanders -- The Existential Frankenstein / Jennifer L. Mcmahon -- Extraterrestrial Visitation, Time Travel, And Artificial Intelligence -- Technology And Ethics In The Day The Earth Stood Still / Aeon J. Skoble -- Some Paradoxes Of Time Travel In The Terminator And 12 Monkeys / William J. Devlin -- 2001 : A Philosophical Odyssey / Kevin L. Stoehr -- Terminator-fear And The Paradox Of Fiction / Jason Holt -- Brave Newer World : Science Fiction Futurism -- The Dialectic Of Enlightenment In Metropolis / Jerold J. Abrams -- Imagining The Future, Contemplating The Past : The Screen Versions Of 1984 / R. Barton Palmer -- Disenchantment And Rebellion In Alphaville / Alan Woolfolk -- The Matrix, The Cave, And The Cogito / Mark T. Conard. Edited By Steven M. Sanders. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents Preface and Acknowledgments An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science Fiction Film Part 1: Enigmas of Identity and Agency What Is It to Be Human? Blade Runner and Dark City Recalling the Self: Personal Identity in Total Recall Picturing Paranoia: Interpreting Invasion of the Body Snatchers The Existential Frankenstein Part 2: Extraterrestrial Visitation, Time Travel, and Artificial Intelligence Technology and Ethics in The Day the Earth Stood Still Some Paradoxes of Time Travel in The Terminator and 12 Monkeys 2001: A Philosophical Odyssey Terminator-Fear and the Paradox of Fiction Part 3: Brave Newer World: Science Fiction Futurism The Dialectic of Enlightenment in Metropolis Imagining the Future, Contemplating the Past: The Screen Versions of 1984 Disenchantment and Rebellion in Alphaville The Matrix, the Cave, and the Cogito List of Contributors Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Z Science fiction films give viewers a glimpse into alternative realities, and also explore various philosophical questions and themes. The contributors to this volume use classic science fiction movies to explore complex philosophical themes and concepts