PHIL 220: Philosophical Themes in Literature—Science Fiction  

Fall 1998 

Instructor: Jeffrey Koperski, Ph.D.

E-mail: koperski@svsu.edu

http://www.svsu.edu/~koperski/

 SVSU

Office: B351

Phone: 791-7751 

This course introduces students to a variety of topics normally found in the introduction to western philosophy. However, instead of reading primary and secondary sources in philosophy, we will examine a number of science fiction short stories, videos, and one novel. Topics include time travel, personal identity, artificial intelligence and personhood, virtual reality and consciousness, ethics, and the philosophy of physics.

Texts: Michael Philips, Philosophy and Science Fiction (1984); William Gibson, Neuromancer (1986)
 

Assignments: 15% Paper 1 20% Final Exam
  20% Midterm 25% Quizzes and Assignments
  20% Paper 2  

Paper topics and format will be given later in the semester. "Quizzes and Assignments" include in-class quizzes on the assigned reading for the day as well as outlines and short writing assignments due at the beginning of class. There is no making up for missed quizzes, although the lowest quiz score will be dropped. The final is not comprehensive.

Grades will be assigned on the following scale:
 

Scale: 90-100 A 61-69 D
  80-89 B 60 ¯ F
  70-79 C  

Final grades will never be lower than those prescribed above as long as all work has been submitted. There is no curve for individual assignments, but a curve on cumulative course grades is possible.

  • Tentative Course Schedule

    • I. What’s right? (Philosophical Ethics)

  • A. "Balaam"

    B. Star Trek Voyager, "Tuvix"

    C. "A Word to Space"

    D. "Seventh Victim"

    •

    II. How do you know what’s real?  (Epistemology)

  • A. Star Trek NG, "Future Imperfect"

    B. "They"

    C. Abbott, Flatland

    •

    III. Is it possible to time travel through time? (Philosophy of space and time)

  • A. "All You Zombies"

    B. Star Trek NG, "Yesterday’s Enterprise"

    C. "The Weed of Time"

    D. Star Trek DSN, "Gaia"

    •

    IV. What does it take to be human? (The mind/body problem; artificial intelligence)

  • A. "The Bicentnennial Man"

    B. Star Trek NG, "The Measure of Man"

    C. "The Show Must Go On"

    D. "Who Can Replace a Man"

    E. Gibson, Neuromancer

    •

    V. How does technology affect us?  (Philosophy of technology; philosophy of language)

  • A. Star Trek NG, "Darmok"

    B. "The Machine Stops"

    •

    VI. What does it mean to be "you"?  (Personal identity)

  • A. Star Trek NG, "Second Chances"

    B. "Impostor"

    •