D. E. Wittkower - Philip K. Dick and Philosophy

Table of Contents

Praise for Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits?

Life sometimes imitates art, and were heading toward many of the technologies and scenarios imagined by Philip Dick, one of the most iconic and philosophical writers in science fiction. Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits? is a nice, accessible guide to many metaphysical and ethical issues waiting in our future.

PATRICK LIN, co-editor of Robot Ethics and co-author of What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter?

Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits? is an intelligent, exciting, and highly entertaining read that will be valued by all thoughtful Dick fans as well as philosophers. The original and thought-provoking chapters assembled by Dylan Wittkower explore a vast range of philosophical topics and display the breadth and depth of Dicks writing with great style.

MARYA SCHECHTMAN, author of The Constitution of Selves

Philip K. Dick was one of the twentieth centurys most penetrating writers concerned with the human condition. Mortality and self-knowledge obsessed him, and his work on these topics is some of the most thoughtful we have seen. Amazingly, Dylan Wittkower has managed to assemble a collection of thinkers who not only understand Dick but whose explanations will help the rest of us understand him better.

JOSEPH C. PITT, author of Thinking About Technology

For anyone whos ever wondered if they might be a replicant, Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits? is required reading. As these writers show, some of the deepest questions that we confrontquestions about identity, free will, and our place in the universeare perfectly illustrated by the memorable characters populating Dicks fictional worlds, from the Nexus-6 androids, to the Precogs, to the customers of Rekal, Inc.

AMY KIND, contributor to Star Trek and Philosophy and Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy

Some minds reflect this age, others incubate the next. Humanity is about to stumble into a new, perhaps terrifying age. Thanks to the incisive chapters Dylan Wittkower has assembled in Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Hve Kindred Spirits? , we may not do so blindly.

R. SCOTT BAKKER, author of The White-Luck Warrior , Disciple of the Dog , and Neuropath

An advanced degree in Dick-ology, an essential book for anyone wishing to discover the shocking depth of Philip K Dicks ideas.

DAVID GILL, publisher, Total Dick-Head blog

Dylan Wittkower has assembled a fantastic collection of chapters analyzing the deep themes of Dicks stories, including the elusiveness of free will, the ambiguous nature of personhood, and the uncertain reliability of knowledge. Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits? is a real treat for fans of both Dicks stories and the movie adaptations.

ERIC J. SILVERMAN, author of The Prudence of Love

Nexus-6 Metaphysical-A Models graduate , undergraduate , post-doctoral , professorial have gathered together as a Vast Active Living Intelligence System for the purposes of pursuing the philosophical strands of Popular-Culture and Speculative-Fiction icon Philip Kindred Dick in Dylan Wittkowers Philip K Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits? This is precisely the kind of book to capture the various strandsat once utterly archaic , unnervingly current and ultimately prognostic of PKDs labyrinthine loom.

NANDITA BISWAS MELLAMPHY, author of The Three Stigmata of Friedrich Nietzsche: Political Physiology in the Age of Nihilism

The fortunate readers of Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits? will turnor returnto both philosophy and the writings of Philip K. Dick with new insight, and be further rewarded in both domains as a result. Philosophy and science fiction have never been more exquisitely or fruitfully married than in the works of Philip K. Dick. These accessible and insightful chapters deftly succeed in their task of clearly articulating broader philosophical matters along with their fine details and nuances as explored in Dicks worlds.

CHARLES ESS, author of Digital Media Ethics

Popular Culture and Philosophy Series Editor: George A. Reisch

VOLUME 1

Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing (2000)

VOLUME 2

The Simpsons and Philosophy: The Doh! of Homer (2001)

VOLUME 3

The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real (2002)

VOLUME 4

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale (2003)

VOLUME 5

The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All (2003)

VOLUME 9

Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (2004)

VOLUME 12

Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine (2005)

VOLUME 13

Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way (2005)

VOLUME 17

Bob Dylan and Philosophy: Its Alright Ma (Im Only Thinking) (2006)

VOLUME 19

Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge Nudge, Think Think! (2006)

VOLUME 24

Bullshit and Philosophy: Guaranteed to Get Perfect Results Every Time (2006)

VOLUME 25

The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You Can Think that Cant Be Thunk (2006)

VOLUME 26

South Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating (2007) Edited by Richard Hanley

VOLUME 28

The Grateful Dead and Philosophy: Getting High Minded about Love and Haight (2007) Edited by Steven Gimbel

VOLUME 30

Pink Floyd and Philosophy: Careful with that Axiom, Eugene! (2007) Edited by George A. Reisch

VOLUME 31

Johnny Cash and Philosophy: The Burning Ring of Truth (2008) Edited by John Huss and David Werther

VOLUME 32

Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy: Darkness on the Edge of Truth (2008) Edited by Randall E. Auxier and Doug Anderson

VOLUME 33

Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Mission Accomplished or Mission Frakked Up? (2008) Edited by Josef Steiff and Tristan D. Tamplin

VOLUME 34 iPod and Philosophy: iCon of an ePoch (2008) Edited by D.E. Wittkower

VOLUME 35

Star Trek and Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant (2008) Edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker

VOLUME 36

The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy: I Link Therefore I Am (2008) Edited by Luke Cuddy

VOLUME 37

The Wizard of Oz and Philosophy: Wicked Wisdom of the West (2008) Edited by Randall E. Auxier and Phillip S. Seng

VOLUME 38

Radiohead and Philosophy: Fitter Happier More Deductive (2009) Edited by Brandon W. Forbes and George A. Reisch

VOLUME 39

Jimmy Buffett and Philosophy: The Porpoise Driven Life (2009) Edited by Erin McKenna and Scott L. Pratt

VOLUME 40

Transformers and Philosophy (2009) Edited by John Shook and Liz Stillwaggon Swan

VOLUME 41

Stephen Colbert and Philosophy: I Am Philosophy (And So Can You!) (2009) Edited by Aaron Allen Schiller

VOLUME 42

Supervillains and Philosophy: Sometimes, Evil Is Its Own Reward (2009) Edited by Ben Dyer

VOLUME 43

The Golden Compass and Philosophy: God Bites the Dust (2009) Edited by Richard Greene and Rachel Robison

VOLUME 44

Led Zeppelin and Philosophy: All Will Be Revealed (2009) Edited by Scott Calef

VOLUME 45

World of Warcraft and Philosophy: Wrath of the Philosopher King (2009) Edited by Luke Cuddy and John Nordlinger

Volume 46

Mr. Monk and Philosophy: The Curious Case of the Defective Detective (2010) Edited by D.E. Wittkower