[eBook Code] Black Mirror and Philosophy (eBook Code, 1st)

Contibutors xi

The Black Mirror Multiverse: An Editor’s Note xxiii

Introduction 1

Black Mirror: What Science Fiction Does Best 3
David Kyle Johnson, with Leander P. Marquez, and Sergio Urueña

Season 1 9

1 The National Anthem and Weighing Moral Obligations: Is It Ever OK to F*ck a Pig? 11
Brian J. Collins with Brandon Boesch

2 Fifteen Million Merits and Fighting Capitalism: How Can We Resist? 20
Chris Byron with Matthew Brake

3 The Entire History of You and Knowing Too Much: Should You Want the Grain? 29
Gregor Balke and Bart Engelen

Season 2 39

4 Be Right Back and Rejecting Tragedy: Would You Bring Back Your Deceased Loved One? 41
Bradley Richards

5 White Bear and Criminal Punishment: How Far is too Far? 50
Sid Simpson with Chris Lay

6 The Waldo Moment and Political Discourse: What’s Wrong with Disrespect in Politics? 59
Greg Littmann

The Christmas Special 69

7 White Christmas and Technological Restraining Orders: Are Digital Blocks Ethical? 71
Cansu Canca and Laura Haaber Ihle

Season 3 81

8 Nosedive and the Anxieties of Social Media: Is the Future Already Here? 83
Sergio Urueña and Nonna Melikyan

9 Playtest and the Power of Virtual Reality: Are Our Fears Real? 92
Claire Benn

10 Shut Up and Dance and Vigilante Justice: Should We Ever Take the Law into Our Own Hands? 101
Juliele Maria Sievers and Luiz Henrique da Silva Santos

11 San Junipero and the Digital Afterlife: Could Heaven be a Place on Earth? 109
James Cook

12 Men Against Fire and Political Manipulation: How Are We Tricked into Dehumanizing Others? 118
Bertha Alvarez Manninen

13 Hated in the Nation and #DeathTo: What are the Consequences of Trial by Twitter? 128
Aline Maya

Season 4 141

14 USS Callister and Non‐Player Characters: How Should We Act in Video Games? 143
Russ Hamer with Steven Gubka

15 Arkangel and Parental Surveillance: What are a Parent’s Obligations? 151
Catherine Villanueva Gardner with Alexander Christian

16 Crocodile and the Ethics of Self Preservation: How Far is Too Far? 160
Darci Doll

17 Hang the DJ and Digital Dating: Should We Use Computers to Help Us Find Mates? 168
Skye C. Cleary and Massimo Pigliucci

18 Metalhead and Technophobia: How Dangerous Will Robots Be? 177
Scott Midson with Justin Donhauser

19 Black Museum and Righting Wrongs: Should We Seek Revenge? 187
Gregory L. Bock, Jeffrey L. Bock, and Kora Smith

Bandersnatch 197

20 Bandersnatch: A Choose‐Your‐Own Philosophical Adventure 199
Chris Lay and David Kyle Johnson

Season 5 239

21 Striking Vipers and Closed Doors: How Meaningful Are Sexual Fantasies? 241
Darren M. Slade

22 Smithereens and the Economy of Attention: Are We All Dopamine Addicts? 251
Pierluca D’Amato

23 Empathy, Emulation and Ashley Too: Can a Robot Be a Friend? 260
George A. Dunn

Black Mirror Reflections 271

24 Consciousness Technology in Black Mirror: Do Cookies Feel Pain? 273
David Gamez with David Kyle Johnson

25 Personal Identity in Black Mirror: Is Your Cookie You? 282
Molly Gardner and Robert Sloane

26 Death in Black Mirror: How Should We Deal with Our Mortality? 292
Edwardo Pérez and Sergio Genovesi

27 Love in Black Mirror: Who Do We Really Love? 301
Robert Grant Price

28 Perception in Black Mirror: Who Controls What You See? 311
Brian Stiltner and Anna Vaughn

29 The Dangers of Technology in Black Mirror: A Dialogue between Uploaded Dead Philosophers 320
Ben Springett with Luiz Adriano Borges

Conclusion 333

30 Black Mirror in the Future: Will We Still be Watching? 335
Geoffrey A. Mitelman

Appendix: How to Use This Book in the Classroom 338

Index 340