PH 339 - Science Fiction and Philosophy

Science fiction enriches philosophy in at least two ways. First, it offers us new perspectives on perennial philosophical questions: Do I have free will? Do I have an immaterial soul? Can I know anything for certain? Do the ends always justify the means? Science fiction helps to motivate, to clarify, and possibly even to answer such questions. Second, science fiction raises a host of philosophical questions that, while less central to the tradition, are arguably no less interesting or important: Could machines think? Could I survive the death of my body by uploading my mind into a computer? How much technology could my body integrate before it ceased to be “human”? What impact, if any, would knowledge of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence have on our self-understanding? This course addresses philosophical questions like these by engaging with science fiction stories, science fiction films, and philosophical texts that reflect on, or are inspired by, science fiction.

Four credits.