Philosophy and Blade Runner

232 Pages·2014·0.597 MB·English

by  Timothy Shanahan

Philosophy and Blade Runner
Also by Timothy Shanahan
THE EVOLUTION OF DARWINISM
PHILOSOPHY 9/11
THE PROVISIONAL IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY AND THE MORALITY
OF TERRORISM
REASON AND INSIGHT (2nd edition)
Philosophy and
Blade Runner
Timothy Shanahan
Loyola Marymount University, USA
© Timothy Shanahan 2014
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First published 2014 by
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In memory of my mother, about
whom only good things come to mind
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
1 Introduction 1
The Film’s Basic Storyline 1
Androids, Replicants, and Humans 2
Electric Sheep Transmuted 4
From Workprint to Final Cut 7
The Deck-a-Rep Debate 11
‘You Did a Man’s Work. But Are You a Man?’ 12
‘Proud of Yourself, Little Man?’ 18
Conclusions 20
2 Being Human 22
Introduction 22
‘It’s Artificial?’ 23
‘You Nexus, Huh?’ 27
‘You’re So Different’ 32
‘We Have a Lot in Common’ 33
‘Did You Ever Take that Test Yourself?’ 37
‘Now It’s My Turn’ 38
‘More Human than Human’ 39
Conclusions 41
3 Persons 43
Introduction 43
‘They Were Designed to Copy
Human Beings’ 44
‘I’m Not in the Business. I Am the Business’ 47
‘That Was Irrational of You’ 49
vii
Contents
‘Replicants are Like Any Other Machine’ 50
‘The Custom Tailored Genetically Engineered
Humanoid Replicant’ 52
‘Nothing is Worse than Having an Itch
You Can Never Scratch’ 55
‘That’s What It Is to Be a Slave’ 56
Conclusions 58
4 Identity 60
Introduction 60
‘How Can It Not Know What It Is?’ 62
‘Memories – You’re Talking about Memories!’ 66
‘I Can’t Rely On…’ 68
‘Deckard, Ninety-Seven’ 71
‘I Don’t Know if It’s Me or Tyrell’s Niece’ 74
‘There’s Some of Me in You’ 75
‘You Play Beautifully’ 77
Conclusions 78
5 Consciousness 80
Introduction 80
‘I Think, Sebastian, Therefore I Am’ 81
‘We’re Not Computers, Sebastian’ 86
‘Very Good, Pris. Now Show Him Why’ 88
‘He Design Your Mind, Your Brain’ 89
‘I Had in Mind Something a Little More Radical’ 92
‘We’re Physical’ 95
Conclusions 97
6 Freedom 99
Introduction 99
‘No Choice, Pal’ 101
‘The Great Advantage to Being Alive is
Having a Choice’ 103
‘I’d Rather Be a Killer than a Victim’ 105
‘Show Me What You’re Made Of’ 106
‘Yeah, What Do You Want?’ 107
viii
Contents
‘I Don’t Know Why He Saved My Life’ 110
Conclusions 113
7 Being Good 115
Introduction 115
Overcoming and Becoming 116
Beyond Good and Evil 118
‘Aren’t You the “Good Man”?’ 121
‘Man is Something that Should be Overcome’ 124
A Nexus 6 Übermensch? 126
‘Is He Good?’ 127
Conclusions 129
8 God 131
Introduction 131
‘Fiery the Angels Fell’ 132
‘Rebel Angels from th’ Ethereal Skie’ 134
‘I Ought to be Thy Adam’ 136
‘Man is Nothing Else but What He Makes
of Himself’ 138
‘You Were Made as Well as We Could Make You’ 139
‘Man is the Being Whose Project is to be God’ 143
Conclusions 145
9 Death 147
Introduction 147
‘Can the Maker Repair What He Makes?’ 148
‘I’m Afraid That’s a Little Out of My Jurisdiction’ 150
‘How Long Do I Live?’ 151
‘I Want More Life’ 157
‘Four, Five. How to Stay Alive’ 160
Conclusions 162
10 Time and Meaning 164
Introduction 164
‘All Those Moments Will Be Lost in Time’ 165
‘All the Time, Pal’ 167
ix