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<\/a>Science Fiction and Philosophy: From Time Travel to Superintelligence<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=jamefmcgrshom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1405149078\")
<\/i>, edited by Susan Schneider<\/a> (Malden: Wiley-Blackwell<\/a>, 2009), is a fantastic book that does not simply relate<\/i> science fiction and philosophy to one another, but in fact shows that the two are significantly overlapping domains. Philosophy thrives on thought experiments, and has done since antiquity, as the excerpt from Plato\u2019s Republic<\/i> demonstrates. When modern philosophers have written thought experiments, they have often taken the form of what are in essence science fiction short stories (a prime example being Daniel Dennett\u2019s classic piece \u201cWhere Am I?\u201d, also included in this volume). Even the editor\u2019s introduction ends with a helpful philosophical sci-fi thought experiment<\/a>.<\/p>\nScience Fiction and Philosophy<\/i> represents a collection of essays, almost all of which have been previously published elsewhere. The first section addresses the issue of whether our world could be a computer simulation. It includes Plato\u2019s myth of the cave and a short excerpt from Descartes to illustrate earlier philosophical works that inspired, and wrestled with the same problems as, some recent works of science fiction. The remainder of part 1 consists of more recent works that address issues such as whether, if we are indeed in a computer simulation, that means our beliefs about the world are false<\/i>, or whether this is simply a metaphysical claim about what lies beyond and originates our world, without negating its reality.<\/p>\n
Part 2 begins with the Dennett piece already mentioned, which provides a nice segue into this section\u2019s theme, which is the nature of persons, including subjects like consciousness and free will. Part 3 follows along once again nicely from the previous part, addressing questions such as whether not merely artificial intelligence but artificial consciousness<\/i> is possible, as well as the notion of cyborgs. Not only a story by Isaac Asimov but a contribution that addresses the nitty gritty of computing are included, allowing for a sense of the range of disciplines and perspectives that intersect with these issues.<\/p>\n
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