#226 Patrick Lee Miller: The Philosophy of Black Mirror
Dr. Patrick Lee Miller is an associate professor of Philosophy at Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the author of Becoming God: Pure Reason in Early Greek Philosophy (Bloomsbury, 2012), and co-editor of Introductory Readings in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy (Hackett, 2015). He also writes for Quillette.
In this episode, we talk about the philosophy of the Black Mirror series, by Charlie Brooker. We go through some of the general themes we were able to identify running through the series, including: the individual and social aspects of life, and their interplay; the role that technology plays, and if it leaves space open for human agency; personhood, the self, copies, simulations, and how we should deal with them; what it is to be the “true” person; the benefits of virtual reality, as well as its drawbacks; mortality, immortality, and the meaning of life; punishment and Nietzsche’s Eternal Return; how we should deal with memory and knowledge, and what we should know. In the latter part of the discussion, we also talk about the usefulness of thought experiments, the relationship between philosophy and science, and the Platonic soul.
Time Links:
What is Black Mirror about?
The struggle between individuals and society
The role of technology
Is there space for human agency in the series? – Nosedive and 15 Million Merits
The question of personhood, copies, and simulations – Be Right Back, Black Museum, White Christmas
What is it like to be a true or a false person? – The Entire History of You
Is there any problem in how people treat virtual characters?
Some positive episodes, like San Junipero, Hang the DJ, and Striking Vipers
Nozick’s experience machine, and the potential benefits of a simulated reality
Mortality, eternity, life, and Buddhism – White Christmas
Punishment and the Eternal Return – White Bear
Memory and knowledge – Crocodile, The Entire History of You
How useful are thought experiments?
The relationship between philosophy and science, and what is knowledge
The self and the Platonic soul
Final thoughts on Black Mirror
Follow Dr. Lee Miller’s work:
Faculty Page: https://bit.ly/2NhdBVH
Book “Becoming God: Pure Reason in Early Greek Philosophy”: https://amzn.to/2YjaP3a
Quillette essays: https://bit.ly/31UAH7M
Black Mirror:
Wikipedia: https://bit.ly/2dCpfbt
Netflix: https://bit.ly/2GN2UBu
IMDB: https://imdb.to/2N5tedz