The Philosophy of The X-Files PDF Download

Author: Dean A. Kowalski
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813136342
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 314

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Book Description
In The Philosophy of The X-Files, Dean A. Kowalski has gathered a remarkable cast of contributors to shed light on the philosophical mysteries of the television show The X-Files. With sections devoted to the show's credos, such as "The Truth Is Out There," individual characters, and specific episodes, The Philosophy of The X-Files illuminates the philosophical assumptions and presuppositions of the show as well as presents discussions through the show to help the reader better understand philosophy and philosophical inquiry.

Author: Robert Arp
Publisher: Open Court Publishing
ISBN: 081269970X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 293

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Book Description
In The X-Files and Philosophy, thirty-six fearless philosophers seek for the truth which is out there, in here, at least somewhere, or (as the postmodernists claim) nowhere. One big issue is whether the weird and unexplained happenings, including the existence of entities unknown to traditional science, might really exist. And if they did, what would be the proper way to behave towards them? Some of these entities seem to flout conventional laws of nature—but perhaps we need to allow for different, as yet undiscovered, laws. If such fabulous entities really exist, what do we owe them? And if they don’t exist, why do we imagine they do? In The X-Files, regular science is represented by Scully and usually turns out to be wrong, while open-minded credulity or pseudoscience is represented by Mulder and usually turns out to be right, or at least somehow on the right track. Scully demands objective, repeatable evidence, and she usually gets it, with Mulder’s help, in astounding and unwelcome ways. What lessons should we take from the finding of The X-Files that respectable science is nearly always wrong and outrageous speculative imagination nearly always right?

Author: Dean A. Kowalski
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 9780813124544
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
From its first appearance in 1993, The X-Files has attracted millions of viewers interested in the paranormal investigations of intuitionist and belief-driven Fox Mulder and his partner, Dana Scully, the "consummate scientist" and skeptic. Addressing questions of trust and authority that plague our information-addled society, the series acquired a large fan base of individuals interested in debating and interpreting the philosophical themes that underlie the symbiotic partnership between Mulder and Scully. The Philosophy of The X-Files concentrates not only on the philosophical assumptions and presuppositions of the show but also on how the episodes portray the process of philosophical inquiry. Editor Dean A. Kowalski argues that both philosophy and The X-Files center around a determination to search for truth despite a frequent lack of information and proper tools. It is no surprise, then, to find the series riddled with common philosophical themes, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics, and existentialism, among others. The first section of the book addresses the credos put forth by the series and examines the philosophical significance of its three popular slogans: "The truth is out there," "Trust no one," and "I want to believe." In the second section, contributors analyze the philosophical underpinnings of the characters of Mulder, Scully, the Cigarette Smoking Man, and Assistant Director Walter Skinner. A final section is devoted to individual episodes and engages with the philosophical issues raised by "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" and "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space,'" in addition to the 1998 film The X-Files: Fight the Future. Two appendixes offer a summary of the main storyline and brief plot summaries of each television episode together with the philosophical issues it raises. The first collection of philosophical essays devoted exclusively to the show, The Philosophy of The X-Files shows a television series successfully engaged with the philosophical quandaries of the modern world and explores how Mulder and Scully's personalities and actions invite inquiry into patterns of human belief and behavior.

Author: Matt Hurwitz
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
The inside track on all nine seasons of the 'X-files' show and movie, plus creator Chris Carter's new commentary and explanation of previously unresolved mysteries.

Author: Dean A. Kowalski
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813138701
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
“This lively collection of essays on the ideas underpinning his films enriches and enlarges our understanding of Spielberg’s complex body of work.” —Joseph McBride, author of Steven Spielberg: A Biography Few directors have had as powerful an influence on the film industry and the movie-going public as Steven Spielberg. Whatever the subject—dinosaurs, war, extra-terrestrials, slavery, the Holocaust, or terrorism—one clear and consistent touchstone is present in all of Spielberg’s films: an interest in the human condition. In movies ranging from Jaws to Schindler’s List to Amistad to Jurassic Park, he has brought to life some of the most popular heroes—and most despised villains—of all time. In Steven Spielberg and Philosophy, Dean A. Kowalski and some of the nation’s most respected philosophers investigate Spielberg’s art to illuminate the nature of humanity. The book explores rich themes such as cinematic realism, fictional belief, terrorism, family ethics, consciousness, virtue and moral character, human rights, and religion in Spielberg’s work. Avid moviegoers and deep thinkers will discover plenty to enjoy in this collection.

Author: Dean A. Kowalski
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 081313997X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
Every generation produces a counterculture icon. Joss Whedon, creator of the long-running television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is famed for his subversive wit, rich characters, and extraordinary plotlines. His renown has only grown with subsequent creations, including Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, and the innovative online series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Through premises as unusual as a supernatural detective agency run by a vampire and a Western set in outer space, Whedon weaves stories about characters forced to make commonplace moral decisions under the most bizarre of circumstances. The Philosophy of Joss Whedon examines Whedon's plots and characterizations to reveal their philosophical takes on the limits of personal freedom, sexual morality, radical evil, and Daoism.

Author: Kevin J. Anderson
Publisher: HarperEntertainment
ISBN: 9780061056246
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
When a disease-ravaged body is found in the burned ruins od a federally funded genetic research lab, Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully fear that a deadly, man-made plague is on the loose. As the FBI agents investigating the "X-files" bureau cases labeled unsolvable- Mulder and Scully pursue the truth wherever it leads, even into the labyrinthine corridors of their own agency ... and beyond.

Author: James B. South
Publisher: Open Court
ISBN: 0812697472
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 350

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Book Description
Twenty-three essays by young professional philosophers examine crucial ethical and metaphysical aspects of the Buffyverse (the world of Buffy). Though the show already attracted much scholarly attention, this is the first book to fully disinter the intellectual issues. Designed by Whedon as a multilevel story with most of its meanings deeply buried in heaps of heavy irony, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has replaced The X-Files as the show that explains to Americans the nature of the powerful forces of evil continually threatening to surge into our world of everyday decency and overwhelm it. In the tradition of the classic horror films Buffy the Vampire Slayer addresses ethical issues that have long fascinated audiences. This book draws out the ethical and metaphysical lessons from a pop-culture phenomenon.

Author: Paul Terry
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1683357523
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
A fully authorized, richly illustrated inside look into 50 of Mulder and Scully’s most memorable monster cases When an X-Files fan opens up The X-Files: The Official Archives, they are gaining access—for the ï¬?rst time—to Agents Mulder and Scully’s notes, records, and visual evidence from actual X-File reports. Designed to mimic a collection of FBI case ï¬?les and packed with such items as autopsy reports, mug shots, lab results, handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, pages ripped from antique books on the occult, and security camera printouts, this fully authorized book is the only one of its kind. Detailing the agents’ investigations into 50 cases of cryptids, biological anomalies, and parapsychic phenomena—from the Flukeman to The Great Mutato to Pusher—The X-Files: The Official Archives showcases some of the show’s greatest villains (some dastardly, some just misunderstood), and instructs future agents on how to successfully investigate the paranormal.

Author: Anne Simon
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0684856182
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
Could an alien organism really survive a centuries-long trip on a meteor and remain virulent enough to attack a human being? How would a scientist know she was peering at a microbe from another planet? What's the possibility of a genetically mutated monster actually developing? In a gripping exploration of the facts behind the science fiction that has enthralled millions of X-philes, Anne Simon -- the respected virologist who comes up with the science for many intriguing episodes -- discusses telomeres, cloning, the Hayflick limit, nanotechnology, endosymbionts, lentiviruses, and other strange phenomena that have challenged the intellect and threatened the lives and sanity of America's favorite FBI agents. With Simon's extraordinary gift for explaining complicated, cutting-edge science in a light, accessible style, and her behind-the-scenes commentary on the development of various plot lines, The Real Science Behind the X-Files will appeal to science buffs and X-Files aficionados alike.