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The Philosopher at the End of the Universe

The Philosopher at the End of the Universe by Mark Rowlands (Random House, 2003) reviewed by Gordon Peckham.

According to Mark Rowlands, "sci-phi is the genre that deals with philosophical issues, disputes, problems and arguments through the medium of science fiction." In this book he selects nine films which illustrate philosophical problems through their futuristic scenarios. His language is straightforward, sometimes robust. As an example take the chapter Why be Moral.

Why be moral? based on the film The Hollow Man (2000)

Fortunately for those of us who are not film buffs Mark Rowlands summarises the plot:

Kev plays a man who was a bit of a bastard anyway, and then becomes a total bastard once the possibility of being discovered [as he has become invisible] and punished is removed. Is there anything wrong with this?

The theme is hardly new, being a reworking of The Ring of Ganges, a story told by Plato in his work The Republic.

Selfish behaviour is often constrained by thoughts of the consequences; it may be prudent to behave differently if we are going to be found out. This is the basis of a social contract – we need to cooperate with others to advance our own interests – but if we are not going to be found out or if the relevant others are neither a threat nor a potential help, there seems no reason to invoke such a contract.

Some argue that "God is watching us" so that we are never invisible. Mark Rowlands comments "People who believe this is the only reason to be moral genuinely scare me. What would happen to them if they, for some reason, found they no longer believed in God? To tie moral behaviour so closely to the possibility of punishment is a sociopath's view of morality." And what about today's majority who never since childhood have believed in such a god?

Kant argued "I ought never to act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law". He claimed that this is a consistent approach to morality – it is essentially the golden rule common to so many cultures. But how does this apply to an egoist? It may be inconsistent for everyone to lie, but "the policy of my breaking my promises whenever it suits me is not a self-undermining or inconsistent policy".

Mark Rowlands concludes:

The choice to let one's life be guided by moral reasons or reasons of self-interest is, I think, ultimately an arational choice. The choice is ultimately one of self-definition: it is a choice guided not by by reasons but by your image of the sort of person you want to be.

Read this book to learn about:

The Nature of Reality from The Matrix, Good and Evil from Star Wars, Morality from Aliens, Personal Identity from Total Recall, The Mind-Body dilemma from Terminator, Free Will from Minority Report, Death and the Meaning of Life from Blade Runner.