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Popular Culture and Philosophy #55
Doctor Who and Philosophy: Bigger on the Inside
In Doctor Who and Philosophy, a team of mostly human philosophers (who are also fans) looks at the deeper issues raised by the Doctor's mind-blowing adventures. They discuss, among other topics, the Doctor's philosophy of science, the ethics of a universe with millions of intelligent species, what makes one life-form more important than another, whether time travelers can change history, and how the Doctor Who TV show is changing the world we live in. The chapters draw freely on both the classic series (1963–1989) and the new series. The book includes a collection of entertaining and insightful quotes from Doctor Who plus a complete list of episodes and companions.
429 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 8, 2014
This is the book I am going to send back to the library with a post-it note containing my name and email address. Because if you read and loved this book, we should be friends (and because I've been informed that in Whovian circles this is considered a legitimate way to make friends).
Every time I watch a Doctor Who episode, I end up with a head full of ideas that I'm just dying to discuss with someone, and my husband can only take so much Doctor Who-related babble. So this book was like water for my parched soul--essay after essay written by people who not only take Doctor Who seriously, but were also interested in exploring its ethical and existential themes. Heaven.
The book is divided into several sections, including Ethics, Personal Identity, Aesthetics, etc. I minored in philosophy, although I haven't read a whole lot of philosophical texts since I graduated. So most of the philosophical arguments in the book were familiar to me, but I think they would still be accessible without a background in philosophy.
Since each essay is written by a different person, the quality and style is somewhat uneven. But there are enough gems to give the book five stars. A couple of different authors developed the idea that the Doctor's ethical system is a variation of the "Ethics of Caring" developed by feminist thinkers in the 1950's, and I found those essays enlightening, since I'm particularly interested in (and enamoured by) the Doctor as an unconventional hero with an idiosyncratic moral outlook.
Whether you want to get your Whovian friend interested in philosophy or your philosophical friend interested in Doctor Who, this is the perfect book.
Every time I watch a Doctor Who episode, I end up with a head full of ideas that I'm just dying to discuss with someone, and my husband can only take so much Doctor Who-related babble. So this book was like water for my parched soul--essay after essay written by people who not only take Doctor Who seriously, but were also interested in exploring its ethical and existential themes. Heaven.
The book is divided into several sections, including Ethics, Personal Identity, Aesthetics, etc. I minored in philosophy, although I haven't read a whole lot of philosophical texts since I graduated. So most of the philosophical arguments in the book were familiar to me, but I think they would still be accessible without a background in philosophy.
Since each essay is written by a different person, the quality and style is somewhat uneven. But there are enough gems to give the book five stars. A couple of different authors developed the idea that the Doctor's ethical system is a variation of the "Ethics of Caring" developed by feminist thinkers in the 1950's, and I found those essays enlightening, since I'm particularly interested in (and enamoured by) the Doctor as an unconventional hero with an idiosyncratic moral outlook.
Whether you want to get your Whovian friend interested in philosophy or your philosophical friend interested in Doctor Who, this is the perfect book.
July 26, 2012
"What does philosophy have to do with time travel?" --Donnie Darko
I'd read a couple of these books from the "pop culture and philosophy" series before and I thought this one sounded pretty interesting, since Doctor Who is ripe for the picking when it comes to philosophical themes. You have your basic Phil 101 stuff (is he still the same doctor when he regenerates) to more advanced type issues (are the cybermen altruistic). I enjoyed most of the essays, some more than others. There will be something for everyone in here, whether you've never even considered philosophy before or whether you majored in it. I got several good ideas of philosophers to check out based on the references in the book.
There is a fun list of quotes from the show in the back, an episode/doctor/companion guide, and a great bibliography. Basically, if you're interested in the topic I'd highly recommend this. It's scholarly but not all of it and not so much so that it isn't accessible.
I'd read a couple of these books from the "pop culture and philosophy" series before and I thought this one sounded pretty interesting, since Doctor Who is ripe for the picking when it comes to philosophical themes. You have your basic Phil 101 stuff (is he still the same doctor when he regenerates) to more advanced type issues (are the cybermen altruistic). I enjoyed most of the essays, some more than others. There will be something for everyone in here, whether you've never even considered philosophy before or whether you majored in it. I got several good ideas of philosophers to check out based on the references in the book.
There is a fun list of quotes from the show in the back, an episode/doctor/companion guide, and a great bibliography. Basically, if you're interested in the topic I'd highly recommend this. It's scholarly but not all of it and not so much so that it isn't accessible.
February 8, 2018
(Original review date: 27 January 2013)
"People don't understand time. It's not what you think it is. It's complicated, very complicated. People assume that time is a straight progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff."
The Doctor isn't always so good at explaining his philosophy of time and time travel, but thankfully this book exists to explicate the finer points of time loops, paradoxes, reversed causation, closed causal chains, the bilking argument (aka, the Grandfather Paradox), external vs. personal time, alternative time, chaos theory, growing block theory, possible worlds, parallel universes, actualism, presentism, eternalism, fatalism, and four-dimensionalism.
...or, you know, wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff.
I do love these Pop Culture and Philosophy books, but some fandoms fit the framework better than others. Spongebob SquarePants and Philosophy? Facebook and Philosophy? The Atkins Diet and Philosophy? Um, no. But Doctor Who is perfect subject matter for this kind of thing, because it's equal parts thinky science fiction and enormous ball of cheese. Like the show, the best essays in here are deeply thought-provoking and ridiculously silly at the same time.
Some of the highlights include:
"Could the Daleks Stop the Pyramids Being Built?" - Introduces the growing block theory of time, to explain how the past could be changed (or utterly annihilated) while still never affecting the present, since the rippling alterations will never "catch up" with present time.
"Empathy, Ethics, and Wonder" - Examines the Doctor's longing for human companionship as a function of his desire to experience, through their eyes, a sense of wonder toward the universe.
"The Horror of the Weeping Angels" - Explains what, exactly, is so deeply unsettling about those creepy fucking angel statues that can only get you when you blink.
"The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, Sponsored by TARDIS" - Discusses the show and the Doctor himself as a model of how Britain wants to view itself in the wake of its crumbling colonial empire.
But despite how fabulous these (and most of the other) essays clearly are, you may be asking: Does a gimmicky pop-philosophy book about everyone's favorite Time Lord really need to stretch to over 400 pages? Well, no. Does it need five indexes, including one of memorable quotes and another listing each and every companion with the Doctor they accompanied? Probably not. Does it need to include five essays on regeneration, three on theories of time, and one each on why the Master, the Daleks, and the Cybermen really aren't so bad? No!
But it does anyway, and that is why it's awesome.
"People don't understand time. It's not what you think it is. It's complicated, very complicated. People assume that time is a straight progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff."
The Doctor isn't always so good at explaining his philosophy of time and time travel, but thankfully this book exists to explicate the finer points of time loops, paradoxes, reversed causation, closed causal chains, the bilking argument (aka, the Grandfather Paradox), external vs. personal time, alternative time, chaos theory, growing block theory, possible worlds, parallel universes, actualism, presentism, eternalism, fatalism, and four-dimensionalism.
...or, you know, wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff.
I do love these Pop Culture and Philosophy books, but some fandoms fit the framework better than others. Spongebob SquarePants and Philosophy? Facebook and Philosophy? The Atkins Diet and Philosophy? Um, no. But Doctor Who is perfect subject matter for this kind of thing, because it's equal parts thinky science fiction and enormous ball of cheese. Like the show, the best essays in here are deeply thought-provoking and ridiculously silly at the same time.
Some of the highlights include:
"Could the Daleks Stop the Pyramids Being Built?" - Introduces the growing block theory of time, to explain how the past could be changed (or utterly annihilated) while still never affecting the present, since the rippling alterations will never "catch up" with present time.
"Empathy, Ethics, and Wonder" - Examines the Doctor's longing for human companionship as a function of his desire to experience, through their eyes, a sense of wonder toward the universe.
"The Horror of the Weeping Angels" - Explains what, exactly, is so deeply unsettling about those creepy fucking angel statues that can only get you when you blink.
"The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, Sponsored by TARDIS" - Discusses the show and the Doctor himself as a model of how Britain wants to view itself in the wake of its crumbling colonial empire.
But despite how fabulous these (and most of the other) essays clearly are, you may be asking: Does a gimmicky pop-philosophy book about everyone's favorite Time Lord really need to stretch to over 400 pages? Well, no. Does it need five indexes, including one of memorable quotes and another listing each and every companion with the Doctor they accompanied? Probably not. Does it need to include five essays on regeneration, three on theories of time, and one each on why the Master, the Daleks, and the Cybermen really aren't so bad? No!
But it does anyway, and that is why it's awesome.
June 22, 2017
Mainly enjoyed the essays about ethics and moral integrity, and the more sciency ones about logic and space-time.
About the rest (topics such as identity, the substance, existence, 'God', 'religion'/'myth', etc), the Whovian twists and comparisons were often nice, even though I didn't always agree with the authors' opinion or interpretations (also, couple of sexist phrases which were jarring). But, as a scientist, reading so many essays about subjective concepts no one can really begin to prove (often expressed as if they were 'universal' 'truths') was a bit taxing (there's a limit to how many times you can come across Locke references xD), and that's why I tend to stick mainly to the Ethics and Logic areas when it comes to Philosophy.
Also, it's at these times that you realize just how invisible women have been (and still are) through history - 99% of the philosophers mentioned and/or quoted were male and 99% of their quotes referred to human beings as 'man/men' and 'he'. Even a couple of the female authors writing the essays referred actively to humans as 'man' and 'he'! (although, to be fair, quite a lot of the essay authors also tried to compensate using 'she' as a generic when talking about the reader/viewer, or 'he or she/she or he', or, my preferred version, 'they').
It's worth a read, though, I found most of the Ethics essays really interesting.
About the rest (topics such as identity, the substance, existence, 'God', 'religion'/'myth', etc), the Whovian twists and comparisons were often nice, even though I didn't always agree with the authors' opinion or interpretations (also, couple of sexist phrases which were jarring). But, as a scientist, reading so many essays about subjective concepts no one can really begin to prove (often expressed as if they were 'universal' 'truths') was a bit taxing (there's a limit to how many times you can come across Locke references xD), and that's why I tend to stick mainly to the Ethics and Logic areas when it comes to Philosophy.
Also, it's at these times that you realize just how invisible women have been (and still are) through history - 99% of the philosophers mentioned and/or quoted were male and 99% of their quotes referred to human beings as 'man/men' and 'he'. Even a couple of the female authors writing the essays referred actively to humans as 'man' and 'he'! (although, to be fair, quite a lot of the essay authors also tried to compensate using 'she' as a generic when talking about the reader/viewer, or 'he or she/she or he', or, my preferred version, 'they').
It's worth a read, though, I found most of the Ethics essays really interesting.
April 2, 2012
As with "The Mythological Dimensions of Doctor Who," which I reviewed earlier, the essays contained in this book are a mixed bag. Some are quite thought-provoking, some just silly; some I very much enjoyed, others were simply not to my taste. I am sure that there will be Whovians who read this book and adore the ones I found tedious. De gustibus non est disputandum.
The essays all concern the interaction of Doctor Who and various schools and topics of philosophy. In general, the ones I found most successful were those which explored the philosophies of the Doctor and/or his enemies and friends or how the stories reflect philosophical currents of their respective eras. I was less interested as a whole in those essays which took a particular school or theme of philosophy as their topic and then used illustrations from the nearly 50-year history of the television show to enliven their work.
A satisfying read, even if I did only skim some chapters.
The essays all concern the interaction of Doctor Who and various schools and topics of philosophy. In general, the ones I found most successful were those which explored the philosophies of the Doctor and/or his enemies and friends or how the stories reflect philosophical currents of their respective eras. I was less interested as a whole in those essays which took a particular school or theme of philosophy as their topic and then used illustrations from the nearly 50-year history of the television show to enliven their work.
A satisfying read, even if I did only skim some chapters.
November 18, 2014
Like the Tardis, the Doctor Who TV show is bigger on the inside.
Doctor Who's writers never seem to come to any definitive conclusions, but they do ask the important questions that have dogged philosophers for ages:
How can psychological identity be defined when the self changes over time?
Can violent creatures have a reasonable system of ethics?
How can we understand causation, when the roots of the events we see now remain masked?
Are beauty and morality necessarily linked?
This book is great material for young fans of Dr. Who - perhaps as a bit of between-season reading before going off to college. Placing philosophy in the context of cheeky science fiction removes the pretentious nonsense that clouds the writing of too many academic philosophers, which may be refreshing for older readers as well.
Doctor Who's writers never seem to come to any definitive conclusions, but they do ask the important questions that have dogged philosophers for ages:
How can psychological identity be defined when the self changes over time?
Can violent creatures have a reasonable system of ethics?
How can we understand causation, when the roots of the events we see now remain masked?
Are beauty and morality necessarily linked?
This book is great material for young fans of Dr. Who - perhaps as a bit of between-season reading before going off to college. Placing philosophy in the context of cheeky science fiction removes the pretentious nonsense that clouds the writing of too many academic philosophers, which may be refreshing for older readers as well.
March 18, 2013
I really enjoyed all of the essays. Each one gave examples of philosophy throughout Doctor Who while explaining the details of that particular line of thought. I made connections I hadn't before, expanded my thoughts on different aspects of philosophy, and was presented with concepts on myself and the world that I will enjoy reflecting on for some time.
I highly recommend this for any fan of Doctor Who, who wants to delve into the world of philosophy without the feeling of being lectured in a university. You might find some concepts you've already recognized while watching the show or you may develop a new train of thought.
I highly recommend this for any fan of Doctor Who, who wants to delve into the world of philosophy without the feeling of being lectured in a university. You might find some concepts you've already recognized while watching the show or you may develop a new train of thought.
May 21, 2013
This was fun! Many of the essays were quite interesting. There was, as others have noted, a fair lot of repetition, but for the most part the various authors handled their topics differently enough that it wasn't dull. There was one essay, Chapter 29, dealing with Gottfried Leibniz and monads, which I found pretty incomprehensible, probably due to my lack of familiarity with the subject, and another, Chapter 31, which had some sloppy grammatical errors. Mostly, though, this was a fun way to explore some philosophical ideas with reference to the Doctor and his adventures!
August 12, 2013
It's uneven, as most anthologies/essay collections are, but there are still a lot of worthwhile pieces in here. Some of the essays on identity (what makes the Doctor "the Doctor," even after he regenerates?) and evil (Daleks, Cybermen) were particularly interesting. The book is very accessible, too, so I plan to use it in my undergraduate Doctor Who seminar next semester.
January 10, 2014
Fantastic! Especially the bits concerning the nature of self, the nature of time, and the issues of continuity and causation. Written for the lay philosopher and explains the theories of the likes of Locke, Kant, and Nietzsche as they pertain to the Doctor and the people and places around him. A good read for even a fair weather Doctor Who fan.
July 2, 2013
I spent most of my 30 hour move reading this and playing Club Penguin. (I know- the dichotomy!) So good, I read parts of it aloud to the people and cats in the car with me.
June 9, 2014
Finally finished! It took me a long time, not because it was difficult or unpleasant to read but just because I haven't given myself time to read on a regular basis. But this book helped me with this.
I have an undergrad degree in Philosophy and love Doctor Who so this was a perfect gift from a friend who knew both. Many people say that the popular "...and Philosophy" books are not for anyone with any knowledge of philosophy but I would disagree. Being a fan and knowledgeable about both is exactly why I liked reading each of the chapters. The book doesn't just explain some basic philosophical concepts but talks about them with examples from Doctor Who. Or, on the other hand, it discusses ideas used in and aspects of the Doctor Who show and universe from a philosophical perspective.
I particularly liked the chapters on ethics, and, of course, had a problem with the chapters bringing in Heidegger and Schopenhauer. (I just don't get them.)
The book also has a good collection of quotes from the show; a list of Doctors, episodes and companions; and bios of the chapter authors.
I would recommend this for anyone interested in Doctor Who and philosophy, an academic library serving a school that has coursework in philosophy and science fiction or popular culture, and any public library.
I have an undergrad degree in Philosophy and love Doctor Who so this was a perfect gift from a friend who knew both. Many people say that the popular "...and Philosophy" books are not for anyone with any knowledge of philosophy but I would disagree. Being a fan and knowledgeable about both is exactly why I liked reading each of the chapters. The book doesn't just explain some basic philosophical concepts but talks about them with examples from Doctor Who. Or, on the other hand, it discusses ideas used in and aspects of the Doctor Who show and universe from a philosophical perspective.
I particularly liked the chapters on ethics, and, of course, had a problem with the chapters bringing in Heidegger and Schopenhauer. (I just don't get them.)
The book also has a good collection of quotes from the show; a list of Doctors, episodes and companions; and bios of the chapter authors.
I would recommend this for anyone interested in Doctor Who and philosophy, an academic library serving a school that has coursework in philosophy and science fiction or popular culture, and any public library.
February 3, 2016
This was a fun and engaging way of exploring philosophical concepts across the millenia, all with the Doctor as the jumping-off point. Questions such as identity, and its persistance over time, ethics, the nature of evil, and aesthetics, are all investigated, with pertinent input from everyone from Socrates to Sartre. The book, and the show, are wonderful reminders of what philosophy is truly all about: the endless goading toward thoughtful introspection about deep, and sometimes disturbing, questions.
When I taught philosophy to high school students, they would invariably ask, when we had been discussing one or another philosophical debating point (Free Will vs. Determinism for instance), what the "answer" was. After spending years teaching World History, where there was usually some agreed upon correct answer, it was most refreshing to respond, "I have no idea, but ultimate answers, or destinations, are not what philosophy is actually about. Rather, philosophy is truly a case where the journey is more important, interesting, and valuable than the final destination."
"Just because life is finite, with a slow, quiet endpoint, doesn't mean that life is worthless. The worth of life is in what we can do in the finitude of its existence every single day." - Adam Riggio
When I taught philosophy to high school students, they would invariably ask, when we had been discussing one or another philosophical debating point (Free Will vs. Determinism for instance), what the "answer" was. After spending years teaching World History, where there was usually some agreed upon correct answer, it was most refreshing to respond, "I have no idea, but ultimate answers, or destinations, are not what philosophy is actually about. Rather, philosophy is truly a case where the journey is more important, interesting, and valuable than the final destination."
"Just because life is finite, with a slow, quiet endpoint, doesn't mean that life is worthless. The worth of life is in what we can do in the finitude of its existence every single day." - Adam Riggio
April 24, 2011
A fun dip into philosophy by examining different aspects of the show. Not having a fantastic classic Who education, some of the examples weren't recognizable to me, but I was inspired to work on furthering my knowledge of pre-2005 episodes.
It was a survey of philosophy, which could spark further investigation into any of the topics broached in the various chapters. Obvious subjects include time travel, the nature of time, ethical definitions, and an exploration of what constitutes a person (or Time Lord, as the case may be). Areas I wasn't expecting were also put to good use; for example, looking at the Daleks in order to ponder a definition of beauty.
I think I'm going to have fun with some of the other books in this pop culture and philosophy series.
It was a survey of philosophy, which could spark further investigation into any of the topics broached in the various chapters. Obvious subjects include time travel, the nature of time, ethical definitions, and an exploration of what constitutes a person (or Time Lord, as the case may be). Areas I wasn't expecting were also put to good use; for example, looking at the Daleks in order to ponder a definition of beauty.
I think I'm going to have fun with some of the other books in this pop culture and philosophy series.
May 29, 2011
This is a collection of essays exploring the Doctor Who mythos/ethos from various philosophical angles. Philosophy, in general, has always felt inaccessible to me (feeble mind, sorry). However, since these ruminations on time-travel, nature of time, personal identity, ethics, etc. were grounded in the world of Doctor Who, I felt compelled to read. Overall, I enjoyed reading the essays and they opened up my eyes to looking at the show and the characters differently. The best and worst thing about the book is one and the same - it requires readers to have a good knowledge of Doctor Who (classic and new). This anthology is brilliant because it's a great way to enlighten fans of the show to philosophy. However, by nature of the book itself, it necessarily limits its scope of audience.
February 7, 2016
Ah, the joys of Doctor Who.
Ah, the joys of philosophy.
In a nutshell, this book embodies two of my favourite things in the entire world (to make it even better, how about some other authors release a 'Doctor Who and Literature'? Hmmm? I would DIE). It is witty, insightful, and it is jam-packed with Doctor Who references posing as examples to several philosophical currents. From Kant to Locke, from Aristotle to Nietzsche, they have got it all covered. The aforementioned references range from Classic Who episodes to Series 5 of the current revived show.
It is a much to all of us who have had enough of dealing with our inner... Daleks? when it comes to unanswered questions regarding the Doctor's choices and beliefs. I highly recommend it.
Ah, the joys of philosophy.
In a nutshell, this book embodies two of my favourite things in the entire world (to make it even better, how about some other authors release a 'Doctor Who and Literature'? Hmmm? I would DIE). It is witty, insightful, and it is jam-packed with Doctor Who references posing as examples to several philosophical currents. From Kant to Locke, from Aristotle to Nietzsche, they have got it all covered. The aforementioned references range from Classic Who episodes to Series 5 of the current revived show.
It is a much to all of us who have had enough of dealing with our inner... Daleks? when it comes to unanswered questions regarding the Doctor's choices and beliefs. I highly recommend it.
February 9, 2017
This was a fun combination of philosophical ideas (something I've been reading lately) and Doctor Who (my favorite TV show since the 80s). Some chapters were tough to get through, like the Monadology of the Time Lords and some of the identity chapters, but I liked the ethics, morality, the horror represented by the Weeping Angels, and the logic of Cybermen sections. There seems to be a focus on the new series, specifically David Tennant's Doctor, but plenty of references to classic stories too.
September 25, 2012
There are some great ideas in here. Too many in fact! The problems of self and identity are repeatedly tackled by the variety of authors but I found myself growing weary. Nevertheless the particular plot features in Dr Who of time travel and regeneration do open up some philosophical areas that aren't all just a matter of idle speculation. If you're a fan and enjoy those late night conversations over wine you'll enjoy this.
July 26, 2011
I'm a complete doctor who nerd so I thought that this book was really interesting. It gives you so much more information and I'm glad I read it!
February 6, 2014
Very enlightening take on various philosophical issues posed by Dr. Who. Definitely would recommend to any fan of the show.
June 20, 2023
I'm hoping for a second volume one day soon...because I found this book interesting, engaging, and enjoyable. I also find it incredibly useful...there is an article in this book I use as part of the readings for one of the Grade 12 World History seminars I conduct. Not all of these pop psychology books work...but when you has as much to work with as you do with the history of Doctor Who, then it's very easy to mine it for contemplative gold.
February 24, 2011
Yes, another book review that involves my favorite current fictional character. Allons-y! But this one is even brainier in conceit that many of the others that I have read and reviewed here. There are enough references to Plato, Nietzsche, and Sartre to earn some college credits from reading this. (Well, just short of having to take an exam after finishing it, that is.)
In his essay “Is the Doctor Still the Doctor – Am I Still Me?”, David Kyle Johnson explores the concept of the Doctor’s personal time-line by likening it to a “time worm” – a visual construct in which one has to imagine the entire life-span of a living being as it moves through the fourth-dimension. (Of course, the Doctor’s “worm” appears to be chopped up, as he is obviously always jumping back and forth in time from place to place.) Johnson subsequently posits that the 10th Doctor, as we know him, actually splits into two separate causal chains – thereby splitting his “time worm” as it moves through time. Up until reading this, I naturally assumed that the severed hand of the 10th Doctor created an entirely new being, his almost human doppelganger – separate from the Doctor as we know him. However, Johnson contends that the single causal chain linking the 1st through 10th Doctors has actually split into two separate and new chains – one which continues on as a quasi-regenerated 10th Doctor (see events from “Journey’s End”), and the other a human 10th Doctor regenerated from the severed hand. That’s basically a bifurcation in the Doctor’s time worm, and something to ponder if and how future writers of the series of the series will utilize this subtle, yet significant, plot point.
In “Timey Wimey Stuff”, Peter Worley addressed one of the time conundrums that Doctor Who naturally brings up – particularly for the new viewer who asks, “Well, wouldn’t that change time itself so that said events never actually occurred. Thus leading to their being no need for the Doctor to go back in the first place?” In response to these frequent concerns, Worley advocates that in such early serials as “The Aztecs” and “The Chase” (and, in my estimation, “The Unicorn and the Wasp” for modern viewers) that “… the events that did in fact bring about history as we know it, and always have been. This avoids the problem of having to introduce strange and inexplicable forces that nurture the events as we know them because they simply are the events that made history.” Of course, there is a bit of a problem with the most recent series with the 11th Doctor and Amy, where the cracks in time have erased (temporarily or permanently) events from our universe. The notion that time can be rewritten is a newer one in Doctor Who, and even the most recent Christmas Special (2010) strongly suggests that things that never did happen can be made to happen – thus re-writing history as we know it.
Of course, there are plenty more puzzles and philosophical conundrums in Courtland and Smithka’s collection of essays on the Doctor to mull over well after you finished it, including an analysis of the Doctor fulfilling a savior role as explained by Ruth Deller in “What the World Needs is…a Doctor”, Gregory Kalynuik’s astute commentary at the end of “Monadology of the Time Lords” on the oddly prescient remarks by Leibniz that presages Doctor Who, and ending with a lengthy collection of brilliant quotes spanning the entire run of Doctor Who since its first episode in 1963. Doctor Who fans who want some braininess to chew on while pontificating about their beloved fictional Doctor will not disappointed.
In his essay “Is the Doctor Still the Doctor – Am I Still Me?”, David Kyle Johnson explores the concept of the Doctor’s personal time-line by likening it to a “time worm” – a visual construct in which one has to imagine the entire life-span of a living being as it moves through the fourth-dimension. (Of course, the Doctor’s “worm” appears to be chopped up, as he is obviously always jumping back and forth in time from place to place.) Johnson subsequently posits that the 10th Doctor, as we know him, actually splits into two separate causal chains – thereby splitting his “time worm” as it moves through time. Up until reading this, I naturally assumed that the severed hand of the 10th Doctor created an entirely new being, his almost human doppelganger – separate from the Doctor as we know him. However, Johnson contends that the single causal chain linking the 1st through 10th Doctors has actually split into two separate and new chains – one which continues on as a quasi-regenerated 10th Doctor (see events from “Journey’s End”), and the other a human 10th Doctor regenerated from the severed hand. That’s basically a bifurcation in the Doctor’s time worm, and something to ponder if and how future writers of the series of the series will utilize this subtle, yet significant, plot point.
In “Timey Wimey Stuff”, Peter Worley addressed one of the time conundrums that Doctor Who naturally brings up – particularly for the new viewer who asks, “Well, wouldn’t that change time itself so that said events never actually occurred. Thus leading to their being no need for the Doctor to go back in the first place?” In response to these frequent concerns, Worley advocates that in such early serials as “The Aztecs” and “The Chase” (and, in my estimation, “The Unicorn and the Wasp” for modern viewers) that “… the events that did in fact bring about history as we know it, and always have been. This avoids the problem of having to introduce strange and inexplicable forces that nurture the events as we know them because they simply are the events that made history.” Of course, there is a bit of a problem with the most recent series with the 11th Doctor and Amy, where the cracks in time have erased (temporarily or permanently) events from our universe. The notion that time can be rewritten is a newer one in Doctor Who, and even the most recent Christmas Special (2010) strongly suggests that things that never did happen can be made to happen – thus re-writing history as we know it.
Of course, there are plenty more puzzles and philosophical conundrums in Courtland and Smithka’s collection of essays on the Doctor to mull over well after you finished it, including an analysis of the Doctor fulfilling a savior role as explained by Ruth Deller in “What the World Needs is…a Doctor”, Gregory Kalynuik’s astute commentary at the end of “Monadology of the Time Lords” on the oddly prescient remarks by Leibniz that presages Doctor Who, and ending with a lengthy collection of brilliant quotes spanning the entire run of Doctor Who since its first episode in 1963. Doctor Who fans who want some braininess to chew on while pontificating about their beloved fictional Doctor will not disappointed.
March 7, 2011
I tend to cringe a little at these pop-culture philosophy books. Philosophical systems should be universally applicable, but the authors really seem to be reaching to connect them up with shallow ephemera like television shows and movies. I did enjoy the essays looking at the Master from Hegelian and Nietzschean perspectives. I also enjoyed the analysis of whether the "logic" of the Cybermen is actually logical.
January 8, 2013
I'm not done with this book, and I'm actually glad. it is such an outstanding book that goes really deep into the philosophy of doctor who. it goes into the concept of time travel, if the doctor is the same person after he regenerates, morals of the doctor (what makes him think what is good or bad). if you are a doctor who fan, pick up this book. you will deffinitely be glad you did. you'll see doctor who in a whole new light.
January 7, 2014
To steal a quote used in another review...one that I LOVED..."What does philosophy have to do with time travel?" from the movie "Donnie Darko." This book, although over my head sometimes, did keep my interest through most chapters. I love the humor in many of the authors essays, and of course the very well thought out intellectual knowledge of specific Doctor Who themes and references. I did skim through some material, but read the whole book and learned quite a bit, I think.
December 17, 2012
Delightful romp through basic premises of various philosophical theories with the Doctor & his companions.
January 26, 2013
Are you afraid of monsters?
No, they are afraid of me. 11th doctor, the hungry earth.
Some essays boring and repetitive, some good. some exceedingly good IMO.
No, they are afraid of me. 11th doctor, the hungry earth.
Some essays boring and repetitive, some good. some exceedingly good IMO.
April 29, 2015
Some of the articles are great. Some of them are lame. It's a mixed bag, rally. Overall I enjoyed it and I recommend it to any Whovian, just don't feel bad about skipping around.
August 4, 2021
This book explores philosophical ideas using examples and ideas from the long running British Science Fiction TV show Dr. Who. There are 32 short essays on various topics ranging from whether the Doctor is the same person after the physical change of regeneration (and thereupon portrayed by a new actor) to whether the Cybermen are really evil. The essays are often a bit basic and not necessarily well thought through, but do bring up some interesting cases from the show and philosophical ideas from the literature.
The collection can be a bit repetitive since there are several essays discussing both personal identity and the Doctor's regeneration and the possibility and consequences of time travel. Despite this the collection manages some depth. I no from examining in this series that some of the citations and interpretations of philosophical work can be in error, I did not notice that here but I did not look hard either.
The collection can be a bit repetitive since there are several essays discussing both personal identity and the Doctor's regeneration and the possibility and consequences of time travel. Despite this the collection manages some depth. I no from examining in this series that some of the citations and interpretations of philosophical work can be in error, I did not notice that here but I did not look hard either.
February 4, 2021
An interesting introduction to key concepts of philosophy as described through the lens of 'Doctor Who'.
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