Publisher Description

Not only is Doctor Who the longest-running science fiction television show in history, but it has also been translated into numerous languages, broadcast around the world, and referred to as the 'way of the future' by some British political leaders. Doctor Who and Philosophy contains contributions from some of the sharpest minds in philosophy. The book examines issues of personal identity and how the Doctor provides valuable insights into how we should understand 'who' we are. It discusses Doctor Who's representation of science, logic, speciesism, perception, physics, causation and ethics. In addition, there is a collection of insightful quotes from the classic and new series of Doctor Who, sure to provide a wealth of philosophical knowledge that is both enlightening and entertaining. The volume also contains a complete list of episodes and companions, so the reader can look back on all of the Doctor's adventures and friends.

Author Biography

Courtland Lewis is a lifelong Doctor Who fan and a doctoral candidate in philosophy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Paula Smithka is the coeditor of Community, Diversity, and Difference: Implications for Peace. She is also an associate professor of philosophy at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

Review

"Opening this book is like opening the door to the TARDIS: we get to spend time with our favorite incarnations of the Doctor whether the First, the Fourth, the Eleventh, or Doctor-Donna, and ponder what it means to travel through time, grow a new personality, fall in love, sacrifice for a greater good, and experience the cosmos for all the wonder it is. Really, Doctor Who and Philosophy is even better than a Sonic Screwdriver." --JOSEF STEIFF, Professor of Film at Columbia College Chicago and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Independent Filmmaking "This dimensionally transcendental volume explains what the Doctor never gets around to until later: the basics of Gallifreyan philosophy and ethics, as translated through Earth's philosophers. A fun, informative volume for folks interested in an introduction to philosophy through the vortex of Doctor Who." --LYNNE M. THOMAS, co-editor of Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It "Lewis and Smithka have done all sapient species a brilliant service by introducing Doctor Who and Philosophy into the time continuum. Like the Doctor's human companions, we get to travel through a universe of Big Ideas with a caring, clever, and, yes, conflicted friend. Next to a real TARDIS swooping down and carrying us off, nothing could beat the experience of reading this book." --PATRICK D. HOPKINS, editor of Sex/Machine "Doctor Who and Philosophy makes you want to go right back to episodes like 'Robot' and 'The Brain of Morbius' so you can watch them again, now that you know what they're really about. No series in the entire history of television has lit up all the beacons of classic philosophy like Doctor Who, and this brilliant book is chock full of Time Lord enlightenment." --ROB ARP, Consulting Ontologist and author of Scenario Visualization: An Evolutionary Account of Creative Problem Solving "An intriguing collection of essays that examines Doctor Who from every philosophical angle imaginable. Do you want theories and contradictions of time travel? It's in there. Do you want a deep examination of the nature of identity, as understood through the Doctor and his regenerative ability? It's in there, too, and it is considered from a variety of philosophical approaches. And so is much, much more. Lewis and Smithka have assembled a fascinating anthology, one that all Who fans, media scholars, and armchair philosophers should want on their shelves." --CHRIS HANSEN, editor of Ruminations, Peregrinations, and Regenerations: A Critical Approach to Doctor Who

Long Description

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 change history, and how the Doctor Who TV show is changing the world we live in. The chapters draw freely on both the classic series (1963-1989) and the new series. The book includes a collection of entertaining and insightful quotes from Doctor Who plus a complete list of episodes and companions.

Review Quote

Opening this book is like opening the door to the TARDIS: we get to spend time with our favorite incarnations of the Doctor whether the First, the Fourth, the Eleventh, or Doctor-Donna, and ponder what it means to travel through time, grow a new personality, fall in love, sacrifice for a greater good, and experience the cosmos for all the wonder it is. Really, Doctor Who and Philosophy is even better than a Sonic Screwdriver."

Details