Science-fiction has long tackled the biggest questions about the human condition: What is reality? What makes us human? What is consciousness?
So to Susan Schneider, [http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~sls/index.html] an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, sci-fi seemed a logical way to illustrate some of the existential conundrums of philosophers over the ages, from Plato to René Descartes to David Chalmers.
“Science fiction fires the imagination and can get across conceptual ideas and thought experiments, or scenarios, that test philosophical theories,” she says. “Consider Isaac Asimov and his stories about robots and what happens if they become conscious. What does that tell us about the notion of a person?”
Also, with science fiction rapidly becoming science fact, many of these questions have practical implications.
In her new book, Science Fiction and Philosophy: From Time Travel to Superintelligence (Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, 2009), [http://www.amazon.com/Science-Fiction-Philosophy-Travel-Superintelligence/dp/1405149078/ref=ed_oe_p] Schneider mines time travel, artificial intelligence, robot rights, teleportation and genetic modification to discuss the nature of space and time, free will, transhumanism, the self, neuroethics and reality.
Each chapter tackles a different philosophical question via essays by Schneider and academic colleagues with titles like Could I be in a Matrix or a Computer Simulation? and Free Will and Determinism in the World of Minority Report. These discussions draw parallels between such sci-fi stalwarts as Star Trek, Blade Runner and Brave New World, and philosophical classics like Plato’s The Republic and Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy.
The book sprang from a 2007 undergraduate Penn course of the same name, which she plans to resume in the 2010-2011 school year. The course grew of out of Schneider’s quest for a compelling way to introduce students to philosophy, plus her own research on the nexus of philosophy and cognitive science.
“Cognitive science regards thinking as computational. I examine how it shapes our understanding of the mind, the self, and consciousness,” says Schneider. “If both computers and humans arrive at answers in a computational manner, then how much of a difference is there between us and them? Not all philosophical questions involve cognitive science. But the area of philosophy I’m most interested in—the nature of our minds and thinking—is in constant dialogue with cognitive science.”
Science fiction has long tackled the biggest questions about the human condition: What is reality? What makes us human? What is consciousness?
So to Susan Schneider, an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, sci-fi seemed a logical way to illustrate some of the existential conundrums of philosophers over the ages, from Plato to René Descartes to David Chalmers.
“Science fiction fires the imagination and can get across conceptual ideas and thought experiments, or scenarios, that test philosophical theories,” she says. “Consider Isaac Asimov and his stories about robots and what happens if they become conscious. What does that tell us about the notion of a person?”
In her new book, Science Fiction and Philosophy: From Time Travel to Superintelligence (Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, 2009), Schneider mines time travel, artificial intelligence, robot rights, teleportation, and genetic modification to discuss the nature of space and time, free will, transhumanism, the self, neuroethics, and reality.
Each chapter tackles a different philosophical question via essays by Schneider and academic colleagues with titles like “Could I be in a Matrix or a Computer Simulation?” and “Free Will and Determinism in the World of Minority Report.” These discussions draw parallels between such sci-fi stalwarts as Star Trek, Blade Runner, and Brave New World, and philosophical classics like Plato’s The Republic and Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy.
The book sprang from a 2007 undergraduate Penn course of the same name, which she plans to resume in the 2010-2011 school year. The course grew of out of Schneider’s quest for a compelling way to introduce students to philosophy, plus her own research on the nexus of philosophy and cognitive science.
“Cognitive science regards thinking as computational. I examine how it shapes our understanding of the mind, the self, and consciousness,” says Schneider. “If both computers and humans arrive at answers in a computational manner, then how much of a difference is there between us and them? Not all philosophical questions involve cognitive science. But the area of philosophy I’m most interested in—the nature of our minds and thinking—is in constant dialogue with cognitive science.”
— Guest-blogger Susan Karlin
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:00 am
Interesting! I think I will read it. I’ve talked in my podcast about the relationship between science and science fiction (Arabic podcast). It’s interesting to see how science fiction relates to philosophy.
I especially like the idea of the human computational thinking.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:03 pm
@Mohamed Qasem
I’s great that you inform about science and science fiction in arabic. Possible your work could inspire some youngsters and great minds in the arabic world to work with science, and for mankinds bests.
October 24th, 2009 at 5:23 am
I’m trying my best. Science is missing from the Arab world. Unfortunately, the number of science podcasts can be counted on one hand (with 2 fingers chopped off). It’s ridiculous! I feel like I’m dropping a pebble in the ocean. I’m creating small insignificant ripples. My podcast’s effect is that of particles in the quantum world.
Thanks for the encouragement
October 24th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Some of sci-fi’s most interesting examinations of such issues emerge in the moments when creators decide that they are not going to tackle seemingly philosophical questions.
Asimov, as the best example, decided that the ‘beware your creation’ story was hackneyed and offered no new ideas and vowed never to write one. The challenge for him then became writing robot stories in an entirely different vein, which he did with great virtuosity.
October 28th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
[...] But Harris is also concerned that science fiction writers discount their value as writers of philosophical fiction. That is, fiction that helps us imagine purposeful “black swans” useful in explaining why our [...]
November 5th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Take a look at The Philsopher at the End of the Universe by Mark Rowlands. Very good introduction to Philosophy explained through science fiction movies.
December 21st, 2009 at 8:57 pm
tap. tap, tap. Is this thing on?
Anyone home here?
Did it all turn fiction?
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:21 am
Hey, Bob. Actually we’re re-loading SNF for a re-birth. Lots more stuff to come.
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:38 pm
OK, I was just curious. Thanks
December 31st, 2009 at 9:31 am
Burtenshaw, apparently communicating in proper English is not one of your strong points. Why would anyone hire the barely literate?
January 22nd, 2010 at 8:14 am
Science Not fiction, you haven’t posted a new entry for some time right now!
What’s happening?
January 22nd, 2010 at 1:00 pm
@Stanley: See my above comment. We’re working on SNF 2.0.
January 31st, 2010 at 5:46 am
OK, when can I expect it to be launched?
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:05 am
Thanks for sharing the information, can’t wait the SNF 2.0 then. Just curious for that things
February 12th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
I just put down Science Fiction and Philosophy after getting about 1/2 way through. Its a decent read, but rehashes a lot of previous works I had already read.
If you have read any philosophy, or read works by Dan Dennett, Ray Kurzweil or other futurists, you will probably get bored. Sections of this book are simply excerpts from those authors’ books. However, if you are new to a lot of these concepts then you might really enjoy this book.
March 4th, 2010 at 6:52 am
so nicely written about Science Fiction and Philosophy
Computer is everything nowadays…
April 17th, 2010 at 12:56 am
I think this article is interesting. I enjoy philosophy and technology. I have not heard about this book before, but it sounds like something I might go out and get. This has really peaked my interest.
I really need to learn more about Cognitive Science.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:26 am
I just put down Science Fiction and Philosophy after getting about 1/2 way through. Its a decent read, but rehashes a lot of previous works I had already read. the tudors season 4 episode 6 | brothers and sisters season 4 episode 23
June 5th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Hmmm, October 22, 2009; now June 5, 2010: SNF 2.0 is taking a whole lotta planning.
June 11th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Anyone know where i can buy this book?
June 30th, 2010 at 5:24 am
Science-fiction literature could indeed be regarded as a thinking tool, but it could also help to build some sort of collective reflexivity and responsibility towards the future.
For some complementary thoughts in a political theory perspective, see also: http://yannickrumpala.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/science-fiction-and-social-theory/
October 1st, 2010 at 1:20 pm
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