Review of Westworld and Philosophy Scott McLemee Philosophers and screenwriters follow the conundrum in different directions, of course, but Westworld displays a surprising awareness of where the philosophical discussion has already gone. The viewer may feel compelled to humanize the hosts — to imagine the androids as somehow, at some level of complexity, generating an interiority, a…
Captain Underpants and The Philosophy of Humor! Edwardo Pérez One of the best scenes in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas is when Joe Pesci’s Tommy berates Ray Liotta’s Henry after Henry told Tommy “You’re really funny.” As Tommy repeatedly asks Henry: “How am I funny?” What’s great about the scene is that as funny as Pesci’s Tommy…
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Hydra: Descartes’ Nightmare Scenario By Armond Boudreaux The current story arc in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (AoS) uses a computer-generated artificial environment called The Framework to explore what might have happened if Hydra had succeeded in taking over S.H.I.E.L.D. Besides giving us the opportunity to see some of our favorite heroes at…
Her and Philosophy By Gina Zavota The 2013 Spike Jonze film Her tells the story of Theodore Twombly, a lonely introvert going through a difficult divorce in a near-future Los Angeles. He works as a letter-writer for people who are unable to express their feelings and lives a somewhat solitary life, until he purchases…
The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series 