Inception and Philosophy

DAVID KYLE JOHNSON is assistant professor of philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and the editor of Heroes and Philosophy. WILLIAM IRWIN is a professor of philosophy at King's College. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles, including House and Philosophy, Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy, and Mad Men and Philosophy. To learn more about the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, visit www.andphilosophy.com

• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The Dream Team xi The Editor’s Totem: An Elegant Solution for Keeping Track of Reality 1Introduction: Plato’s Academy Award 11PART ONE WAS MAL RIGHT? WAS IT ALL JUST A DREAM?: MAKING SENSE OF INCEPTION1 Was It All a Dream?: Why Nolan’s Answer Doesn’t Matter 17Ruth Tallman2 Let Me Put My Thoughts in You: It Was All Just a Dream 31Jason Southworth3 Even If It Is a Dream, We Should Still Care 46Andrew Terjesen4 The Unavoidable Dream Problem 62James T. M. MillerPART TWO IS THE TOP STILL SPINNING?: TACKLING THE UNANSWERABLE QUESTION5 The Parable of the Spinning Top: Skepticism, Angst, and Cobb’s Choice 77Katherine Tullmann6 Reality Doesn’t Really Matter 92Dan Weijers7 Why Care whether the Top Keeps Spinning? 108Bart EngelenPART THREE IS INCEPTION POSSIBLE?: THE METAPHYSICS, ETHICS, AND MECHANICS OF INCEPTING8 How to Hijack a Mind: Inception and the Ethics of Heist Films 125Daniel P. Malloy9 Inception, Teaching, and Hypnosis: The Ethics of Idea-Giving 140Adam Barkman10 Inception and Free Will: Are They Compatible? 152John R. Fitzpatrick and David Kyle Johnson11 Honor and Redemption in Corporate Espionage 166Albert J. ChanPART FOUR WHAT IS DREAMING?: EXPLORING THE NATURE OF (SHARED) DREAMS (UPON DREAMS)12 Shared Dreaming and Extended Minds 177Ken Marable13 Morally Responsible Dreaming: Your Mind Is the Scene of the Crime 187Lance Belluomini14 Dream Time: Inception and the Philosophy of Time 199Michael J. Sigrist15 Dreams and Possible Worlds: Inception and the Metaphysics of Modality 215Charles Joshua Horn16 Do Our Dreams Occur While We Sleep? 231Keith DrommPART FIVE SHOULD I TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH?: RELIGIOUS THEMES IN INCEPTION17 Taking a Leap of Faith: A How-to Guide 249David Kyle Johnson18 Limbo, Utopia, and the Paradox of Idyllic Hope 265Clint Jones19 Unlocking the Vault of the Mind: Inception and Asian Philosophy 276Scott Daniel DunbarPART SIX WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?: FINDING THE HIDDEN LESSONS OF INCEPTION20 Mal-Placed Regret 295Kimberly Blessing21 “You’re Just a Shade”: Knowing Others, and Yourself 310Daniel Forbes22 Paradox, Dreams, and Strange Loops in Inception 326Tyler ShoresAPPENDIX : A Safe Full of Secrets: Hidden Gems You May Have Missed 343CONTRIBUTORS: The Architects 363INDEX: The PASIV (Plenary Alphabetized Subject Index for This Volume) Device 371

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