Terminator and Philosophy: I'll Be Back, Therefore I Am (18 page)
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Authors: Richard Brown,William Irwin,Kevin S. Decker
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The problem of personal identity involves one individual remaining the same person, despite changing in other ways.
10
Because they have different fathers, it seems that the John Connor in timeline one cannot be the same person as the John Connor in timeline two. This leads to a serious problem involving Kyle Reese: if the John Connor that was not fathered by Reese does not possess the qualities he needs to crush Skynet, then the humans will lose the war and Kyle will not be sent back to protect Sarah. If, however, the John Connor that was not fathered by Reese
does
possess the qualities he needs to crush Skynet, then Reese should have been told
not
to impregnate Sarah, as that might jeopardize the human victory over the machines (why take a chance on a different father if the first father is good enough?).
10
Because they have different fathers, it seems that the John Connor in timeline one cannot be the same person as the John Connor in timeline two. This leads to a serious problem involving Kyle Reese: if the John Connor that was not fathered by Reese does not possess the qualities he needs to crush Skynet, then the humans will lose the war and Kyle will not be sent back to protect Sarah. If, however, the John Connor that was not fathered by Reese
does
possess the qualities he needs to crush Skynet, then Reese should have been told
not
to impregnate Sarah, as that might jeopardize the human victory over the machines (why take a chance on a different father if the first father is good enough?).
All of the problems we’ve discussed cast serious doubt on the view that multiple timelines can save the story line of
The Terminator
. However, the situation is more complicated than it might appear. There are different ways, metaphysically speaking, that we can understand the different timelines. For example, are they parallel universes? If not, what happens to timeline one when timeline two is created?
The Terminator
. However, the situation is more complicated than it might appear. There are different ways, metaphysically speaking, that we can understand the different timelines. For example, are they parallel universes? If not, what happens to timeline one when timeline two is created?
Suppose that the different timelines shown above are three parallel universes. A parallel universe is a universe that exists separately from our own.
11
Using this idea, we could hypothesize that when Kyle Reese goes back in time to impregnate Sarah, the universe branches off into a second universe (timeline two). This would be like an amoeba splitting itself into two separate organisms during mitosis. (You didn’t forget all of your high school biology, did you?) The difference is that we have one universe where Kyle Reese is not the father of John Connor (timeline one) and another universe where he is the father (timeline two). Even if this were to happen, however, it would not save the storyline of
The Terminator
for at least two reasons.
11
Using this idea, we could hypothesize that when Kyle Reese goes back in time to impregnate Sarah, the universe branches off into a second universe (timeline two). This would be like an amoeba splitting itself into two separate organisms during mitosis. (You didn’t forget all of your high school biology, did you?) The difference is that we have one universe where Kyle Reese is not the father of John Connor (timeline one) and another universe where he is the father (timeline two). Even if this were to happen, however, it would not save the storyline of
The Terminator
for at least two reasons.
First, it introduces a new wrinkle with respect to the personal identity problem because now we have two John Connors concurrently existing in two separate universes. Which is the real John Connor? Or should we say that both are John Connor because one person can inhabit two different bodies at the same time? What a metaphysical mess! Second, given parallel universes, even if Skynet wins in timeline two (because of the Bad Timing Problem), Skynet has already lost in timeline one. Recall that Reese told Dr. Silberman: “Their defense grid was smashed. We’d won.” The result of this is a “we win
and
we lose in different universes” ending that really sucks! (Generally speaking, people like a definitive ending in a movie where some enemy is hell-bent on our destruction.)
and
we lose in different universes” ending that really sucks! (Generally speaking, people like a definitive ending in a movie where some enemy is hell-bent on our destruction.)
The alternative to the above interpretation is to say that the timelines shown on page 116 are not parallel universes. Instead, they merely represent alterations to one and the same universe. In other words, by traveling back in time and changing the past it is as if certain things never happened (see the figure below). However, this interpretation of things does not overcome either of the two big metaphysical problems we’ve discussed. The Bad Timing Problem would still apply in this case. Whoever goes into the time-displacement equipment first still has the advantage. But in this case, unlike the parallel universe view, only one side can win.
So what about the Who-Is-Your-Daddy? Problem? Let’s tackle that next.
BY TRAVELING BACK IN TIME AND CHANGING THE PAST, KYLE REESE BECOMES THE FATHER OF JOHN CONNOR.
The above figure shows how the timeline of one universe can be altered by time travel. In this case, by traveling back in time, Reese becomes John Connor’s father. The dotted part of the timeline, which represents John’s original dad (Stan Morsky?), is wiped out of existence (as if it never happened) the moment that Reese travels back and impregnates Sarah. This still, however, does not remove the fact that John Connor’s original father had to be someone other than Kyle Reese. By changing the past Kyle
seems
to become the only father of John, but Kyle would never have been able to travel back in time unless there was a first father other than Kyle Reese. So even if this first father was “wiped out of existence” (whatever that means), he still had to exist for a time (before being wiped out) in order to make Kyle Reese’s trip back in time possible. Thus, in the end, the Who-Is-Your-Daddy? Problem has not been solved. We are still faced with the conclusion that either there is no way to explain how John Connor came into existence in the first place (if it is claimed that Kyle Reese is the only father), or that John Connor had two different dads (with all of the problems that accompany this view).
seems
to become the only father of John, but Kyle would never have been able to travel back in time unless there was a first father other than Kyle Reese. So even if this first father was “wiped out of existence” (whatever that means), he still had to exist for a time (before being wiped out) in order to make Kyle Reese’s trip back in time possible. Thus, in the end, the Who-Is-Your-Daddy? Problem has not been solved. We are still faced with the conclusion that either there is no way to explain how John Connor came into existence in the first place (if it is claimed that Kyle Reese is the only father), or that John Connor had two different dads (with all of the problems that accompany this view).
Even if we’re right that there are two serious metaphysical flaws in the original film, we don’t blame you if you still like the films. We do, too. Aside from their obvious entertainment value, these types of movies stir our imagination. When asked to explain his impressive discoveries, Albert Einstein once said he felt that “imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
12
12
Nothing stretches your imagination quite like fiction, especially science fiction. Where else, except in fiction, could you pretend that the impossible is possible and the improbable is happening right now? Fiction helps us to think philosophically because it stimulates the mind, encouraging us to think in new and unexpected ways. Philosophers such as Martha Nussbaum have made similar arguments concerning the value of novels to philosophical study.
13
What is true of novels is equally true of movies, which currently reach a wider audience than most philosophy books. So keep watching and thinking, and who knows—you might just become a philosopher yourself!
14
13
What is true of novels is equally true of movies, which currently reach a wider audience than most philosophy books. So keep watching and thinking, and who knows—you might just become a philosopher yourself!
14
1
Immanuel Kant,
Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
, ed. L. W. Beck (New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1950), 116.
Immanuel Kant,
Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
, ed. L. W. Beck (New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1950), 116.
2
Aristotle,
Metaphysics
, 981b26-30, trans. W. D. Ross, in
The Basic Works of Aristotle
, ed. Richard McKeon (New York: Random House, 1941), 691. Aristotle also said that metaphysics studied other things. In fact, he was so unclear when discussing what metaphysics studied that philosophers have been arguing about how to interpret him ever since.
Aristotle,
Metaphysics
, 981b26-30, trans. W. D. Ross, in
The Basic Works of Aristotle
, ed. Richard McKeon (New York: Random House, 1941), 691. Aristotle also said that metaphysics studied other things. In fact, he was so unclear when discussing what metaphysics studied that philosophers have been arguing about how to interpret him ever since.
3
For a brief overview of the history of attacks on metaphysics, see Jorge J. E. Gracia
, Metaphysics and Its Task: The Search for the Categorial Foundation of Knowledge
(Albany: State Univ. of New York Press, 1999), ix-xiii.
For a brief overview of the history of attacks on metaphysics, see Jorge J. E. Gracia
, Metaphysics and Its Task: The Search for the Categorial Foundation of Knowledge
(Albany: State Univ. of New York Press, 1999), ix-xiii.
4
Collectors of the movies will know that the original DVD of
The Terminator
was presented in mono sound. Thankfully they remastered it in 5.1 for the special edition.
Collectors of the movies will know that the original DVD of
The Terminator
was presented in mono sound. Thankfully they remastered it in 5.1 for the special edition.
5
If you are interested in whether time travel is really possible, we recommend the following books: Brian Greene,
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
(New York: Knopf, 2004), chap. 15, and Michio Kaku,
Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel
(New York: Doubleday, 2008), chap. 12.
If you are interested in whether time travel is really possible, we recommend the following books: Brian Greene,
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
(New York: Knopf, 2004), chap. 15, and Michio Kaku,
Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel
(New York: Doubleday, 2008), chap. 12.
6
One last point: because we are making a lot of assumptions, our arguments below should be considered an exercise in
hypothetical metaphysics
. Ordinary metaphysics studies reality, which is difficult enough, but we are venturing into the unknown.
One last point: because we are making a lot of assumptions, our arguments below should be considered an exercise in
hypothetical metaphysics
. Ordinary metaphysics studies reality, which is difficult enough, but we are venturing into the unknown.
7
Thought experiments are performed in your mind, not in a laboratory. They are used to examine the logical implications of a theory. Knowing the implications of a theory helps one to determine whether it is consistent with other theories and known facts. For more on thought experiments, see Julian Baggini and Peter S. Fosl,
The Philosopher’s Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and Methods
(Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2002), 58-60.
Thought experiments are performed in your mind, not in a laboratory. They are used to examine the logical implications of a theory. Knowing the implications of a theory helps one to determine whether it is consistent with other theories and known facts. For more on thought experiments, see Julian Baggini and Peter S. Fosl,
The Philosopher’s Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and Methods
(Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2002), 58-60.
8
Such a flaw, for example, occurs in the popular Will Smith film
Independence Day
. In that film, the aliens are tremendously more powerful than we are. They should have destroyed us. The No-F’n-Way flaw in that film concerns the fact that the humans uploaded a computer virus to the alien ships. However, unless those alien ships ran a Macintosh operating system, we cannot see how the humans could have compiled a program in their alien computer language quickly enough to save the world. No-F’n-Way! Some of you, no doubt, will disagree with this assessment. For a good discussion of the controversy, see the comments of Dan Hurley and Phil Bennett on Jakob Nielsen’s Webpage:
www.useit.com/alertbox/independence-day-interoperability-blooper.html
.
Such a flaw, for example, occurs in the popular Will Smith film
Independence Day
. In that film, the aliens are tremendously more powerful than we are. They should have destroyed us. The No-F’n-Way flaw in that film concerns the fact that the humans uploaded a computer virus to the alien ships. However, unless those alien ships ran a Macintosh operating system, we cannot see how the humans could have compiled a program in their alien computer language quickly enough to save the world. No-F’n-Way! Some of you, no doubt, will disagree with this assessment. For a good discussion of the controversy, see the comments of Dan Hurley and Phil Bennett on Jakob Nielsen’s Webpage:
www.useit.com/alertbox/independence-day-interoperability-blooper.html
.
9
Actually, it is possible that artificial intelligence might be benevolent and leave humanity alone. Why are we suspicious of this?
Actually, it is possible that artificial intelligence might be benevolent and leave humanity alone. Why are we suspicious of this?
10
This is a very popular topic among philosophers. For an overview of the problem, see Eric T. Olson, “Personal Identity,” posted on February 20, 2007, at
plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-personal/
.
This is a very popular topic among philosophers. For an overview of the problem, see Eric T. Olson, “Personal Identity,” posted on February 20, 2007, at
plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-personal/
.
11
For a good discussion of parallel universes, see Kaku,
Physics of the Impossible
, chap. 13.
For a good discussion of parallel universes, see Kaku,
Physics of the Impossible
, chap. 13.
12
This occurred in an interview conducted by George Sylvester Viereck. For more information, see Walter Isaacson,
Einstein: His Life and Universe
(New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007), 387.
This occurred in an interview conducted by George Sylvester Viereck. For more information, see Walter Isaacson,
Einstein: His Life and Universe
(New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007), 387.
13
Martha C. Nussbaum, “Introduction: Form and Content, Philosophy and Literature,” in
Love’s Knowledge: Essays on Philosophy and Literature
(New York: Oxford University Press, 1990), 3-53.
Martha C. Nussbaum, “Introduction: Form and Content, Philosophy and Literature,” in
Love’s Knowledge: Essays on Philosophy and Literature
(New York: Oxford University Press, 1990), 3-53.
14
We would like to thank William Irwin, Richard Brown, Kevin S. Decker, Alejandro Quintana, Rachel Hollander, Tony Spanakos, Stephen Greeley, Andrew D’Auria, Joseph Mogelnicki, John Joseph Jordan, Nicholas Brosnan, and Tyler Matthew Aguilar Kimball for helpful comments on this chapter.
We would like to thank William Irwin, Richard Brown, Kevin S. Decker, Alejandro Quintana, Rachel Hollander, Tony Spanakos, Stephen Greeley, Andrew D’Auria, Joseph Mogelnicki, John Joseph Jordan, Nicholas Brosnan, and Tyler Matthew Aguilar Kimball for helpful comments on this chapter.
9
TIME FOR THE TERMINATOR: PHILOSOPHICAL THEMES OF THE RESISTANCE
Justin Leiber
In the not-too-distant future, humans resist extermination at the hands of machines. In the present, philosophers resist ignorance and injustice. The two resistances converge in three philosophical themes of the
Terminator
saga: paradoxes of time travel and changing the past to affect the future; the moral status of non-human life forms; and the threat of devastating “smart” weapons technology.
In the original film, the Terminator is sent by Skynet to kill Sarah Connor, who will give birth to John Connor, the fated leader of human resistance to machine rule. This chain of events, however, embodies two paradoxes.
Paradox one: if the Terminator succeeds, then Skynet won’t have any John Connor to worry about and hence can’t be sending a Terminator back to kill the mother of the unborn, unnamed, and nonexistent John Connor. The T-101’s arrival in our present proves he must fail, because if he had succeeded, the situation that led to his being sent back wouldn’t have occurred—and so he wouldn’t be sent back in the first place.
Paradox two: to head off this impossibility, future John Connor also sends Sarah Connor’s would-be defender, Kyle Reese, back through time. He not only miraculously terminates the Terminator but also impregnates Sarah Connor, whom he will fall in love with decades hence by looking at her photograph. Where did the photograph come from? It was taken a decade after John Connor’s birth, and helpfully supplied to Reese by the resistance leader of the 2020s and—dare we say it—superpimp, John Connor himself! But our future John Connor, being a bright chap, knows that because he, John Connor, exists, the Terminator
must have
failed and so he, John Connor,
must have
been born of Sarah Connor. So, given all this, why on Earth does he need to send Kyle Reese back at all?
must have
failed and so he, John Connor,
must have
been born of Sarah Connor. So, given all this, why on Earth does he need to send Kyle Reese back at all?
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