PODCAST 2

ANALYTICAL VS CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY

analytic philosophy - based a lot on logic

like science, build up concepts

problem and puzzle based

continental philosophy - existentialism, phenomenology

more literary, interested in literature and art

big ideas

focused on ethics - eg what human life is worth living, what does it mean to be human

kant - combined both continental and analytical philosophy

many good SF stories (thought experiments) have both analytical philosophy (conceptual analysis -
framed in a way of continental philosophy) and continental philosophy (the same concepts - fear of
mankind, mankind’s place in the universe)

positive - clarify a concept

negative - make us more puzzled by the concepts

SF stories - many good SF stories are philosophical, but not all are ONLY philosophical

idea driven, character driven

1. Galileo’s – 2 objects fall from the sky, one heavier. What if put together? Which will reach
the ground first?
2. Newton’s – cannon shot from north pole, goes around and around the earth forever

they are made out of meat

idea driven that makes it seem like character-driven

talking about novum (new thing) – the universe is made out of minds, but only human minds are
made out meat

thought experiment of the nature of the mind - is the mind separate from the body?

ethical overtones – the aliens have to make a decision – to contact humans or not
the brick moon

similar to newton’s cannon story

physics POV, intending to build a satellite that could orbit around the earth (1 st part)

brick sphere = cannon – rotating vertically

can navigate where you are by looking at the brick sphere

(2nd part) what if you can have people on the satellite, people were accidentally launched in the
story, forming a small community in orbit

Pocket universe – what if we were locked in a tiny world? Are we lonely, or will it work out fine?

Tower of Babylon

Heaven is the roof of the world, they are mining up towards heaven, to get to God

Pocket universe

Definition of science fiction – anything that is ruled plausible by current science is considered science
fiction. In that case, the tower of Babylon is not science fiction because it is not possible to build a
tower that reaches to “heaven”

Maybe there is the existence of another world in which their physics (alt physics) allows the tower of
Babylon.

Many thought experiments, through showing the limits of science show the meaning of scientific
life, the implications of such a scientific, multi-generational project

Many genre turns (do what you expect actually happen?)

The great wall of china

Kafkaresque

What is similar from chiang’s story? Narrative and tone is the similar

What is different from chiang’s story? Maybe it’s the philosophy of both writers, what difference
does it make?

Is it an allegory or a parable? Does the wall represent science? Does the emperor represent God?

Do we have a similar relationship to science like in the story – the people to the wall or the
government? Do we have a God we believe in, a faith or philosophy? Something that governs us, but
yet untouchable, that it becomes estranged.

Story within a story structure – message from the emperor (in a dream) focus on this if writing
thematic summary on this