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Doctor Who and Philosophy: Bigger on the Inside (Popular Culture and Philosophy #55)
by
Courtland Lewis ,
Paula Smithka , Mark Wardecker (Goodreads Author)
In Doctor Who and Philosophy, a team of mostly human philosophers (who are also fans) looks at the deeper issues raised by the Doctor's mind-blowing adventures. They discuss, among other topics, the Doctor's philosophy of science, the ethics of a universe with millions of intelligent species, what makes one life-form more important than another, whether time travelers can...more
Paperback, 429 pages
Published
December 1st 2010
by Open Court
(first published October 22nd 2010)
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"People don't understand time. It's not what you think it is. It's complicated, very complicated. People assume that time is a straight progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff."
The Doctor isn't always so good at explaining his philosophy of time and time travel, but thankfully this book exists to explicate the finer points of time loops, paradoxes, reversed causation, closed causa...more
"What does philosophy have to do with time travel?" --Donnie Darko
I'd read a couple of these books from the "pop culture and philosophy" series before and I thought this one sounded pretty interesting, since Doctor Who is ripe for the picking when it comes to philosophical themes. You have your basic Phil 101 stuff (is he still the same doctor when he regenerates) to more advanced type issues (are the cybermen altruistic). I enjoyed most of the essays, some more than others. There will be someth...more
I'd read a couple of these books from the "pop culture and philosophy" series before and I thought this one sounded pretty interesting, since Doctor Who is ripe for the picking when it comes to philosophical themes. You have your basic Phil 101 stuff (is he still the same doctor when he regenerates) to more advanced type issues (are the cybermen altruistic). I enjoyed most of the essays, some more than others. There will be someth...more
As with "The Mythological Dimensions of Doctor Who," which I reviewed earlier, the essays contained in this book are a mixed bag. Some are quite thought-provoking, some just silly; some I very much enjoyed, others were simply not to my taste. I am sure that there will be Whovians who read this book and adore the ones I found tedious. De gustibus non est disputandum.
The essays all concern the interaction of Doctor Who and various schools and topics of philosophy. In general, the ones I found most...more
The essays all concern the interaction of Doctor Who and various schools and topics of philosophy. In general, the ones I found most...more
"It was a better life. And I-I don't mean all the traveling and...seeing aliens and spaceships and things-that don't matter. The Doctor showed me a better way of living your life." - Rose Tyler
Great quote that embodies what The Doctor is, and what heroes are. Great book full of explorations of this amazing character and show. Doctor Who is huge in Britain and is gaining a foothold in the States. I can't recommend the series enough. The Doctor is all about reflection, on yourself, your values, yo...more
Great quote that embodies what The Doctor is, and what heroes are. Great book full of explorations of this amazing character and show. Doctor Who is huge in Britain and is gaining a foothold in the States. I can't recommend the series enough. The Doctor is all about reflection, on yourself, your values, yo...more
Yes, another book review that involves my favorite current fictional character. Allons-y! But this one is even brainier in conceit that many of the others that I have read and reviewed here. There are enough references to Plato, Nietzsche, and Sartre to earn some college credits from reading this. (Well, just short of having to take an exam after finishing it, that is.)
In his essay “Is the Doctor Still the Doctor – Am I Still Me?”, David Kyle Johnson explores the concept of the Doctor’s personal...more
In his essay “Is the Doctor Still the Doctor – Am I Still Me?”, David Kyle Johnson explores the concept of the Doctor’s personal...more
This is a collection of essays exploring the Doctor Who mythos/ethos from various philosophical angles. Philosophy, in general, has always felt inaccessible to me (feeble mind, sorry). However, since these ruminations on time-travel, nature of time, personal identity, ethics, etc. were grounded in the world of Doctor Who, I felt compelled to read. Overall, I enjoyed reading the essays and they opened up my eyes to looking at the show and the characters differently. The best and worst thing about...more
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I'm not done with this book, and I'm actually glad. it is such an outstanding book that goes really deep into the philosophy of doctor who. it goes into the concept of time travel, if the doctor is the same person after he regenerates, morals of the doctor (what makes him think what is good or bad). if you are a doctor who fan, pick up this book. you will deffinitely be glad you did. you'll see doctor who in a whole new light.
This was fun! Many of the essays were quite interesting. There was, as others have noted, a fair lot of repetition, but for the most part the various authors handled their topics differently enough that it wasn't dull. There was one essay, Chapter 29, dealing with Gottfried Leibniz and monads, which I found pretty incomprehensible, probably due to my lack of familiarity with the subject, and another, Chapter 31, which had some sloppy grammatical errors. Mostly, though, this was a fun way to expl...more
I tend to cringe a little at these pop-culture philosophy books. Philosophical systems should be universally applicable, but the authors really seem to be reaching to connect them up with shallow ephemera like television shows and movies. I did enjoy the essays looking at the Master from Hegelian and Nietzschean perspectives. I also enjoyed the analysis of whether the "logic" of the Cybermen is actually logical.
A fun dip into philosophy by examining different aspects of the show. Not having a fantastic classic Who education, some of the examples weren't recognizable to me, but I was inspired to work on furthering my knowledge of pre-2005 episodes.
It was a survey of philosophy, which could spark further investigation into any of the topics broached in the various chapters. Obvious subjects include time travel, the nature of time, ethical definitions, and an exploration of what constitutes a person (or T...more
It was a survey of philosophy, which could spark further investigation into any of the topics broached in the various chapters. Obvious subjects include time travel, the nature of time, ethical definitions, and an exploration of what constitutes a person (or T...more
Ah, the joys of Doctor Who.
Ah, the joys of philosophy.
In a nutshell, this book embodies two of my favourite things in the entire world (to make it even better, how about some other authors release a 'Doctor Who and Literature'? Hmmm? I would DIE). It is witty, insightful, and it is jam-packed with Doctor Who references posing as examples to several philosophical currents. From Kant to Locke, from Aristotle to Nietzsche, they have got it all covered. The aforementioned references range from Clas...more
Ah, the joys of philosophy.
In a nutshell, this book embodies two of my favourite things in the entire world (to make it even better, how about some other authors release a 'Doctor Who and Literature'? Hmmm? I would DIE). It is witty, insightful, and it is jam-packed with Doctor Who references posing as examples to several philosophical currents. From Kant to Locke, from Aristotle to Nietzsche, they have got it all covered. The aforementioned references range from Clas...more
I really enjoyed all of the essays. Each one gave examples of philosophy throughout Doctor Who while explaining the details of that particular line of thought. I made connections I hadn't before, expanded my thoughts on different aspects of philosophy, and was presented with concepts on myself and the world that I will enjoy reflecting on for some time.
I highly recommend this for any fan of Doctor Who, who wants to delve into the world of philosophy without the feeling of being lectured in a uni...more
I highly recommend this for any fan of Doctor Who, who wants to delve into the world of philosophy without the feeling of being lectured in a uni...more
I'm a complete doctor who nerd so I thought that this book was really interesting. It gives you so much more information and I'm glad I read it!
Thoroughly entertaining! Morality, Mortality and time travel amongst other things, ingenious application of some philosophical theories and their explanations/examples within the whoverse. A bit overly episode descriptive at times, but still a brilliant read for a philosophically inclined whovian.
Don't Blink.
Don't Blink.
There are some great ideas in here. Too many in fact! The problems of self and identity are repeatedly tackled by the variety of authors but I found myself growing weary. Nevertheless the particular plot features in Dr Who of time travel and regeneration do open up some philosophical areas that aren't all just a matter of idle speculation. If you're a fan and enjoy those late night conversations over wine you'll enjoy this.
Are you afraid of monsters?
No, they are afraid of me. 11th doctor, the hungry earth.
Some essays boring and repetitive, some good. some exceedingly good IMO.
No, they are afraid of me. 11th doctor, the hungry earth.
Some essays boring and repetitive, some good. some exceedingly good IMO.
Delightful romp through basic premises of various philosophical theories with the Doctor & his companions.
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