The best kind of science fiction is philosophy. Yes, lasers and teleportation devices are cool, but science fiction poses big questions. He imagines alternative worlds and exaggerated scenarios. It presents you with thought experiments titled “What would life be like”. Matrix It is about knowledge and truth, and Star Trek He asks how we should form an ideal society. Gattaca Considers the ethics of procreation, and Starship troopers It is only about the theory of war. Isaac Asimov’s Rules for Robotics are more important than ever. Science fiction, when done well, stays in your head for a long time.
One of the most common subgenres of science fiction features apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic worlds. the walking Dead It ran for 11 seasons, and hunger Games He has four films. World War g It has sold 15 million copies worldwide, and Station eleven He has won many awards. Here, we examine the deeper philosophical question behind common apocalyptic ideas.
Who do we save?
When worlds collide The film revolves around a cosmic catastrophe, and the people of Earth are planning for their imminent extinction. A rogue star has been spotted, and it’s set to destroy our planet. Similar stories are also found in Deep impact, 2012And the fog. In each case, humanity only has enough resources left to save a small portion of the entire species. Who then shall we be saved?
According to Immanuel Kant, all rational agents have the same right to life and free choice as everyone else. No person should be treated as a means to an end, but as valuable in their own right. For Kant, then, the lottery system (as in Deep impact) is likely to be the best. For utilitarians, we must save those who in the future will provide humanity with the best outcomes: doctors, engineers, and the most accomplished. In fact, the world is almost certainly Nietzschean. The superhumans of our time – generals and government officials – will be the first to reach spaceships. It is no secret that if there is a nuclear war, it is the politicians who will have first place in the safes and bunkers.
How do we rebuild society?
Post-apocalyptic fiction often shows part of society rebuilding and rebuilding a world of dusty, abandoned remains. the walking Dead And He falls It is characterized by pockets of very different bands or tribes re-establishing very different communities. But one of the best-selling examples of this is Platform, in which post-apocalyptic America is divided into the good guys in Nebraska and the bad guys in Las Vegas. These scenarios raise a powerful question: How can we build a society if we can start from scratch? It’s something that would make a good podcast.
This reflects a well-known thought experiment by John Rawls known as the “original position.” Basically, we are asked to imagine that you have moved into a new society, but you never knew what class, age, or gender you would be or how much wealth you would have. How can you engineer the structures and prejudices of that society to maximize your chances for happiness and fulfillment? Which post-apocalyptic world would be fairer for everyone?
To what extent should we try to control nature?
One of the distinctive characteristics of Homo sapiens Success is our ability to control, tame or repel nature. We cut and Burnt forestsWe built dams on rivers to stop floods, and domesticated livestock. However, much science fiction is based on scenarios where humans have gone too far, resulting in genetically modified monsters or climate catastrophe. All of this raises the question: To what extent should we try to control nature?
It is naive to assume that we should not control nature at all. Antibiotics, air conditioning, and structural engineering all involve manipulating the natural order of things. It involves killing and destruction. Francis Bacon and René Descartes saw control over nature as essential to civilization. It was about the control of the rational over the irrational. It was chaos. When early humans cut down an area of forest to build homes, this was undoubtedly true. But there comes a turning point: the point where harming nature also harms humanity. Apocalyptic fiction is a great tool for studying when and where this point occurs.
What does it matter when you’re the last person alive?
After 28 days It begins with a lonely and confused man wandering the empty streets of London. Here is a man left alone in one of the busiest cities in the world. Oryx and Crake, I Am LegendAnd WALL-E They all feature characters fending for themselves in a barren and eerily silent world. They all raise an important existential question: Is there anything more important than our relationships?
At first glance, the post-apocalyptic world looks like a lot of fun. There are no pitfalls, no queues and no financial worries. You can drive the fastest cars, live in the grandest palaces, and enjoy everything you want from Dom Pérignon. But then what? What do you do?
One of the most powerful stories to explore this idea is that of Cormac McCarthy The Road. This photo shows a father and son wandering through a cold, desolate landscape. They are not alone. There are bandits and horrors, but all that matters is the two of them and the love they have for each other. When the world is on fire, and there is everything and nothing to do, what is most important? They are the people you love.
When true adventurer Christopher McCandless died alone on an abandoned bus in Alaska, his memoirs contained the following phrase: “Happiness is only real when shared.” Without other people, what good is anything?
