Black Mirror and Philosophy

<p><b>A philosophical look at the twisted, high-tech near-future of the sci-fi anthology series <i>Black Mirror</i>, offering a glimpse of the darkest reflections of the human condition in digital technology</b></p> <p><i>Black Mirror</i>―the Emmy-winning Netflix series that holds up a dark, digital mirror of speculative technologies to modern society—shows us a high-tech world where it is all too easy to fall victim to ever-evolving forms of social control.In <i>Black Mirror and Philosophy</i>, original essays written by a diverse group of scholars invite you to peer into the void and explore the philosophical, ethical, and existential dimensions of Charlie Brooker’s sinister stories. The collection reflects <i>Black Mirror</i>’s anthology structure by pairing a chapter with every episode in the show’s five seasons—including an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure analysis of <i>Bandersnatch</i>—and concludes with general essays that explore the series’ broader themes. Chapters address questions about artificial intelligence, virtual reality, surveillance, privacy, love, death, criminal behavior, and politics, including:</p> <ul> <li>Have we given social media too much power over our lives?</li> <li>Could heaven really, one day, be a place on Earth?</li> <li>Should criminal justice and punishment be crowdsourced?</li> <li>What rights should a “cookie” have?</li> </ul> <p>Immersive, engaging, and experimental, <i>Black Mirror and Philosophy</i> navigates the intellectual landscape of Brooker’s morality plays for the modern world, where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide.</p>