PH0255 Philosophy in Science Fiction

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2011
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Josef Krob, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Jan Zouhar, CSc.
Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Hana Holmanová
Timetable
each odd Thursday 10:50–12:25 M21
Prerequisites (in Czech)
PH_PoZ Qualifying Exam. in Phil. || PHK_PoZ Qualifying Exam. in Phil. || PROGRAM(N-PH) || PROGRAM(N-HS) || PROGRAM(N-SS)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
At the end of the course students should have knowledge of the possibilities and specific cases of the use of thought experiments in literature. Besides that, some selected philosophical issues will be demonstrated on excerpts from fiction.
Syllabus
  • The presentation of selected philosophical questions in an interactive way and their reflection using sci-fi literature.

  • This will rather be a workshop than a lecture!

    1. The creation of universes, the creation of the world * Stanisław Lem: Alfred Testa: Nová kosmogonie. In Dokonalá prázdnota. Golem XIV. Svoboda 1983. (in a format for Word) Charles Harness: Nová realita, Ikárie 9/99.(in a format for Word) * the creation of universes and physical regularities * parcipatory anthropic principle
  • 2. Sign, name, and reality * Arthur Clark: Zpráva o třetí planetě. Devět miliard božích jmen. Praha, Práce 1982.(in a format for Word) Stanisław Lem: Jak byl zachráněn svět, Kyberiáda, Praha 1983. (in a format for Word) * the relation of name and reality, taboo words, vulgar words, onomatopoic expressions, the structuring of reality by language, magic (control by language, prayer...) * a world controlling formula, a unified theory of everything * logical triangle, signs, symbols and their relation to reality, conventionalism, the structuring of the language by reality
  • 3. Evolution, the meaning of life * Stanisław Lem: Dokonalá prázdnota. Golem XIV. Svoboda 1983. (in a format for Word) Richard Dawkins: Replikátory a mem. In Sobecký gen. MF 1998. (in Word format) * biological chance vs. purposefulness, evolutionary strategy * could evolution not have occurred(as described by Golem when the first system emerged? Was it possible to stop with very efficient direct processing of solar energy? * questions of meaning (E. Rádl – objective and subjective meaning)
  • 4. Social determinism Isaac Asimov: Nadace. (in Word format) * Protectorship, control of one's own or foreign society, social determinism (determinism in general, chaotic systems), prediction and planning vs. mistake in a spontaneously developing system and a planned system (holding on to a mistaken solution)
  • 5. Time and space * Charles Shefield: Noční můry klasické fyziky a kvantové paradoxy. Ikarie 8/99, p. 11. The possibilities of travel using time and space anomalies (worm holes, hyperspace, time loops...)
  • 6. Mind and body, solipsism and realism * Lem: Hvězdné deníky 2, p. 13-26 (in Word format) on solipsism and realism, on the (im)possibility of disclosing an illusion
  • 7. Artificial intelligence * Isaac Asimov: …že jsi naň pamětliv. Roboti a androidi, Praha, Svoboda 1988, p. 404–426. (in Word format) on the weak points of robotic laws, on formal systems
  • 8. The historical role of mistake * Sanislaw Lem: Hvězdné deníky II. Professor A. Dounda pp.274–275. (in Word format) on order and chaos, the overestimation of order, spontaneity and planning
  • 9. Trial with mankind * Sanislaw Lem: Hvězdné deníky on ethics - evil and nature in humans as biological species
Literature
    required literature
  • LEM, Stanisław. Golem XIV (Přít.) : Dokonalá prázdnota ; Golem XIV. info
  • Isaac Asimov: …že jsi naň pamětliv. Roboti a androidi, Praha, Svoboda 1988, s. 404–426.
  • Arthur Clark: Zpráva o třetí planetě. Devět miliard božích jmen. Praha, Práce 1982
  • Isaac Asimov: Nadace.
    recommended literature
  • ASIMOV, Isaac. Já, Asimov :paměti. Translated by Pavel Medek. Vyd. 1. Praha: Český spisovatel, 1996, 661 s. ISBN 80-202-0608-6. info
  • LEM, Stanislaw. Summa technologiae. Praha: Magnet-Press, 1995, 328 s. ISBN 80-85847-47-7. info
  • LEM, Stanisław. Kyberiáda : bajky kybernetického věku. V Praze: Československý spisovatel, 1983. info
Teaching methods
Lecture presupposing knowledge of the assigned reading, discussion and analysis of the work.
Assessment methods
Written essay, min. 5400 characters, on one of the semiar topics or a topic that occurred in the discussions. Colloquium discussion based on the essay (according to the terms specified in IS). Discuss, defend their soundness and relevance for philosophy. Problems need not be solved :-), the point is to present them and demonstrate the competence to lead a thematically defined discussion with the necessary information background. Themes: 1. Mathematics, physics, logic, and their relation to physical reality. 2. Language and physical reality 3. Evolution, chance, meaning 4. Time and space 5. Mind and body, fiction and reality 6. Artificial intelligence 7. History, determinism, plan and spontaneity 8. Man, nature and ethics 9. Communication (inter-species, cross-civilization)
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
Teacher's information
http://www.phil.muni.cz/fil/sci-fi/program.html
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2002, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2011, recent)
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