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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Book | Chapter

188399

The ghost in the machine

humanity and the problem of self-aware information

Brett Lunceford

pp. 371-379

Abstract

Theories of posthumanism place considerable faith in the power of information-processing. Some foresee a potential point of self-awareness in computers as processing ability continues to increase exponentially, while others hope for a future in which their minds can be uploaded to a computer, thereby gaining a form of non-corporeal immortality. Such notions raise questions of whether humans can be reduced to their own information-processing: Are we thinking machines? Are we the sum of our memories? Many science fiction (SF) films have grappled with similar questions; this chapter considers two specific ideas through the lens of these films. First, I will consider the roles that memory and emotion play in our conception of humanity. Second, I will explore the question of what it means to think by examining the trope of sentient networks in film.

Publication details

Published in:

Hauskeller Michael, Philbeck Thomas D., Carbonell Curtis D. (2015) The Palgrave handbook of posthumanism in film and television. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 371-379

DOI: 10.1057/9781137430328_37

Full citation:

Lunceford Brett (2015) „The ghost in the machine: humanity and the problem of self-aware information“, In: M. Hauskeller, T. D. Philbeck & C. D. Carbonell (eds.), The Palgrave handbook of posthumanism in film and television, Dordrecht, Springer, 371–379.