Inception and Philosophy – Because It′s Never Just a Dream
Because It′s Never Just a Dream
Samenvatting
A philosophical look at the movie Inception and its brilliant metaphysical puzzles
Is the top still spinning? Was it all a dream? In the world of Christopher Nolan′s four–time Academy Award–winning movie, people can share one another′s dreams and alter their beliefs and thoughts. Inception is a metaphysical heist film that raises more questions than it answers: Can we know what is real? Can you be held morally responsible for what you do in dreams? What is the nature of dreams, and what do they tell us about the boundaries of "self" and "other"? From Plato to Aristotle and from Descartes to Hume, Inception and Philosophy draws from important philosophical minds to shed new light on the movie′s captivating themes, including the one that everyone talks about: did the top fall down (and does it even matter)?
Explores the movie′s key questions and themes, including how we can tell if we′re dreaming or awake, how to make sense of a paradox, and whether or not inception is possible
Gives new insights into the nature of free will, time, dreams, and the unconscious mind
Discusses different interpretations of the film, and whether or not philosophy can help shed light on which is the "right one"
Deepens your understanding of the movie′s multi–layered plot and dream–infiltrating characters, including Dom Cobb, Arthur, Mal, Ariadne, Eames, Saito, and Yusuf
An essential companion for every dedicated Inception fan, this book will enrich your experience of the Inception universe and its complex dreamscape.
Specificaties
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<p>The Editor s Totem: An Elegant Solution for Keeping Track of Reality 1</p>
<p>Introduction: Plato s Academy Award 11</p>
<p>PART ONE WAS MAL RIGHT? WAS IT ALL JUST A DREAM?: MAKING SENSE OF INCEPTION</p>
<p>1 Was It All a Dream?: Why Nolan s Answer Doesn t Matter 17<br /> Ruth Tallman</p>
<p>2 Let Me Put My Thoughts in You: It Was All Just a Dream 31<br /> Jason Southworth</p>
<p>3 Even If It Is a Dream, We Should Still Care 46<br /> Andrew Terjesen</p>
<p>4 The Unavoidable Dream Problem 62<br /> James T. M. Miller</p>
<p>PART TWO IS THE TOP STILL SPINNING?: TACKLING THE UNANSWERABLE QUESTION</p>
<p>5 The Parable of the Spinning Top: Skepticism, Angst, and Cobb s Choice 77<br /> Katherine Tullmann</p>
<p>6 Reality Doesn t Really Matter 92<br /> Dan Weijers</p>
<p>7 Why Care whether the Top Keeps Spinning? 108<br /> Bart Engelen</p>
<p>PART THREE IS INCEPTION POSSIBLE?: THE METAPHYSICS, ETHICS, AND MECHANICS OF INCEPTING</p>
<p>8 How to Hijack a Mind: Inception and the Ethics of Heist Films 125<br /> Daniel P. Malloy</p>
<p>9 Inception, Teaching, and Hypnosis: The Ethics of Idea–Giving 140<br /> Adam Barkman</p>
<p>10 Inception and Free Will: Are They Compatible? 152<br /> John R. Fitzpatrick and David Kyle Johnson</p>
<p>11 Honor and Redemption in Corporate Espionage 166<br /> Albert J. Chan</p>
<p>PART FOUR WHAT IS DREAMING?: EXPLORING THE NATURE OF (SHARED) DREAMS (UPON DREAMS)</p>
<p>12 Shared Dreaming and Extended Minds 177<br /> Ken Marable</p>
<p>13 Morally Responsible Dreaming: Your Mind Is the Scene of the Crime 187<br /> Lance Belluomini</p>
<p>14 Dream Time: Inception and the Philosophy of Time 199<br /> Michael J. Sigrist</p>
<p>15 Dreams and Possible Worlds: Inception and the Metaphysics of Modality 215<br /> Charles Joshua Horn</p>
<p>16 Do Our Dreams Occur While We Sleep? 231<br /> Keith Dromm</p>
<p>PART FIVE SHOULD I TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH?: RELIGIOUS THEMES IN INCEPTION</p>
<p>17 Taking a Leap of Faith: A How–to Guide 249<br /> David Kyle Johnson</p>
<p>18 Limbo, Utopia, and the Paradox of Idyllic Hope 265<br /> Clint Jones</p>
<p>19 Unlocking the Vault of the Mind: Inception and Asian Philosophy 276<br /> Scott Daniel Dunbar</p>
<p>PART SIX WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?: FINDING THE HIDDEN LESSONS OF INCEPTION</p>
<p>20 Mal–Placed Regret 295<br /> Kimberly Blessing</p>
<p>21 You re Just a Shade : Knowing Others, and Yourself 310<br /> Daniel Forbes</p>
<p>22 Paradox, Dreams, and Strange Loops in Inception 326<br /> Tyler Shores</p>
<p>APPENDIX : A Safe Full of Secrets: Hidden Gems You May Have Missed 343</p>
<p>CONTRIBUTORS: The Architects 363</p>
<p>I NDEX: The PASIV (Plenary Alphabetized Subject Index for This Volume) Device 371</p>