Metaphysics
This theory suggests that every event, including human action, is the inevitable result of preceding causes.
What is Determinism?
For centuries, knowledge was defined by these three words: "Justified True..."
What is Belief?
his 1999 film is a direct cinematic exploration of Robert Nozick’s "Experience Machine" thought experiment.
What is The Matrix?
This animated duo frequently tackles themes of cosmic horror and the meaninglessness of the multiverse.
Who are Rick and Morty?
The "Alignment Problem" refers to the difficulty of ensuring this technology’s goals match human values.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
The philosophical "problem" of how a non-physical mind can interact with a physical body.
What is the Mind-Body Problem?
The radical doubt that we can ever truly know anything about the external world.
What is Skepticism?
This Jim Carrey film serves as a modern retelling of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.
What is The Truman Show?
The "Jedi" philosophy in Star Wars is a pop-culture blend of Buddhism, Taoism, and this ancient Greek school.
What is Stoicism?
This ethical movement, associated with Peter Singer, uses evidence and reason to figure out how to benefit others as much as possible.
What is Effective Altruism?
This hypothesis, popularized by Nick Bostrom, suggests our reality might be a computer-generated construct.
What is Simulation Theory?
This school of thought emphasizes reason as the primary source of knowledge, rather than sensory perception.
What is Rationalism?
This Christopher Nolan film explores the nature of reality, memory, and "Inception" using a spinning top as a totem.
What is Inception?
This Marvel villain’s plan to snap away half of life is a radical (and flawed) version of Malthusianism.
Who is Thanos?
This theory by Clark and Chalmers suggests that tools like smartphones are literally part of our cognitive systems.
What is The Extended Mind?
The belief that only "matter" exists and that mental states are simply brain states.
What is Physicalism (or Materialism)?
A metaphor for a logical structure where knowledge is built upon "basic beliefs" that require no further justification.
What is Foundationalism?
In Arrival, the protagonist’s worldview changes based on the language she learns, illustrating this linguistic hypothesis.
What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?
This Kanye West song title references a Friedrich Nietzsche work about the "death of God."
What is "No Church in the Wild"?
This term describes a culture where objective facts are less influential than appeals to emotion and personal belief.
What is Post-Truth?
This term describes the study of the universe's origin and overall structure.
What is Cosmology?
The "Problem of" this logical process notes that we cannot truly prove the future will resemble the past.
What is the Problem of Induction?
This 1982 Ridley Scott film asks "What is human?" through the lens of bioengineered "Replicants."
What is Blade Runner?
This NBC sitcom hired actual philosophy professors to ensure its portrayal of Ethics was accurate.
What is The Good Place?
A 21st-century focus on "Epistemic" this, which refers to the unfairness of dismissing someone's knowledge based on their identity.
What is Epistemic Injustice?