Inception and Philosophy
Because It's Never Just a Dream
Published on 14. October 2011
400 pages
978-1-118-16889-9 (ISBN)
Description
A philosophical look at the movie Inception and itsbrilliant metaphysical puzzles
Is the top still spinning? Was it all a dream? In the world ofChristopher Nolan's four-time Academy Award-winning movie, peoplecan share one another's dreams and alter their beliefs andthoughts. Inception is a metaphysical heist film that raisesmore questions than it answers: Can we know what is real? Can yoube held morally responsible for what you do in dreams? What is thenature of dreams, and what do they tell us about the boundaries of"self" and "other"? From Plato to Aristotle and from Descartes toHume, Inception and Philosophy draws from importantphilosophical minds to shed new light on the movie's captivatingthemes, including the one that everyone talks about: did the topfall down (and does it even matter)?
* Explores the movie's key questions and themes, including how wecan tell if we're dreaming or awake, how to make sense of aparadox, 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 ornot philosophy can help shed light on which is the "right one"
* Deepens your understanding of the movie's multi-layered plotand dream-infiltrating characters, including Dom Cobb, Arthur, Mal,Ariadne, Eames, Saito, and Yusuf
An essential companion for every dedicated Inception fan, thisbook will enrich your experience of the Inception universeand its complex dreamscape.
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11/2011
Wiley
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Persons
David Kyle johnson is assistant professor of philosophy atKing's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and the editor ofHeroes and Philosophy.
William Irwin is a professor of philosophy at King's College. Heoriginated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books ascoeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and hasoverseen recent titles, including House and Philosophy, Alice inWonderland and Philosophy, and Mad Men and Philosophy. To learnmore about the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series,
visit www.andphilosophy.com
Content
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The Dream Team xi
The Editor's Totem: An Elegant Solution for Keeping Trackof Reality 1
Introduction: Plato's Academy Award 11
PART ONE WAS MAL RIGHT? WAS IT ALL JUST A DREAM?: MAKINGSENSE OF INCEPTION
1 Was It All a Dream?: Why Nolan's Answer Doesn'tMatter 17
Ruth Tallman
2 Let Me Put My Thoughts in You: It Was All Just a Dream31
Jason Southworth
3 Even If It Is a Dream, We Should Still Care 46
Andrew Terjesen
4 The Unavoidable Dream Problem 62
James T. M. Miller
PART TWO IS THE TOP STILL SPINNING?: TACKLING THEUNANSWERABLE QUESTION
5 The Parable of the Spinning Top: Skepticism, Angst, andCobb's Choice 77
Katherine Tullmann
6 Reality Doesn't Really Matter 92
Dan Weijers
7 Why Care whether the Top Keeps Spinning? 108
Bart Engelen
PART THREE IS INCEPTION POSSIBLE?: THE METAPHYSICS, ETHICS,AND MECHANICS OF INCEPTING
8 How to Hijack a Mind: Inception and the Ethics of HeistFilms 125
Daniel P. Malloy
9 Inception, Teaching, and Hypnosis: The Ethics of Idea-Giving140
Adam Barkman
10 Inception and Free Will: Are They Compatible? 152
John R. Fitzpatrick and David Kyle Johnson
11 Honor and Redemption in Corporate Espionage 166
Albert J. Chan
PART FOUR WHAT IS DREAMING?: EXPLORING THE NATURE OF (SHARED)DREAMS (UPON DREAMS)
12 Shared Dreaming and Extended Minds 177
Ken Marable
13 Morally Responsible Dreaming: Your Mind Is the Scene of theCrime 187
Lance Belluomini
14 Dream Time: Inception and the Philosophy of Time199
Michael J. Sigrist
15 Dreams and Possible Worlds: Inception and theMetaphysics of Modality 215
Charles Joshua Horn
16 Do Our Dreams Occur While We Sleep? 231
Keith Dromm
PART FIVE SHOULD I TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH?: RELIGIOUS THEMES ININCEPTION
17 Taking a Leap of Faith: A How-to Guide 249
David Kyle Johnson
18 Limbo, Utopia, and the Paradox of Idyllic Hope 265
Clint Jones
19 Unlocking the Vault of the Mind: Inception and AsianPhilosophy 276
Scott Daniel Dunbar
PART SIX WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?: FINDING THE HIDDEN LESSONSOF INCEPTION
20 Mal-Placed Regret 295
Kimberly Blessing
21 "You're Just a Shade": Knowing Others, andYourself 310
Daniel Forbes
22 Paradox, Dreams, and Strange Loops in Inception326
Tyler Shores
APPENDIX : A Safe Full of Secrets: Hidden Gems You MayHave Missed 343
CONTRIBUTORS: The Architects 363
I NDEX: The PASIV (Plenary Alphabetized Subject Index forThis Volume) Device 371
