Philo Fiction

Did you know that the real scriptwriter for The Matrix was none other than René Descartes? This is surprising, if only because he was too busy doubting everything, including whether he should even get out of bed. A lesser-known but equally crucial fact is that Descartes had an unexpected amount in common with Tom Cruise. Kant and Nietzsche play important roles in Star Trek, while John Locke was a source of inspiration for the creators of Avatar. Films and television series are full of philosophy, which also explains why Batman constantly grapples with the prisoner's dilemma and why the creators of The Terminator and Robocop ponder the nature of mind and consciousness. And then there's Marty McFly from Back to the Future, whose life is complicated not only by time travel but also by the endless debate about free will and determinism. In this book, philosopher Jiří Beňovský offers nineteen short stories that explore how philosophy is reflected in the pop-culture mirrors of film and television. If you want to learn how to build a happiness machine or what happens when your brain is split in two, you've come to the right place. And if not, you can always turn on Star Trek and ponder how Kant and Nietzsche are saving the galaxy one logical argument at a time.