The Politics of Perfection
Technology and Creation in Literature and Film
By (author) Kimberly Hurd Hale
Not available to order
Publication date:
07 October 2016Length of book:
162 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9781498509930
The Politics of Perfection: Technology and Creation in Literature and Film provides an exploration of the relationship between modern technological progress and classical liberalism. Each chapter provides a detailed analysis of a film or novel, including Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, Michael Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, and Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. These works of fiction are examined through the lens of political thinkers ranging from Plato to Hannah Arendt. The compatibility of classical liberalism and technology is questioned, using fiction as a window into Western society’s views on politics, economics, religion, technology, and the family. This project explores the intersection between human nature and creation, particularly artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, using works of literature and film to access cultural concerns. Each of the works featured asks a question about the relationship between technology and creation. Technology also allows humanity to create new types of life in the forms of artificial intelligence and genetically engineered beings. This book studies works of literature and film as evidence of the contemporary unease with the progress of technology and its effect on the political realm.
Working at the intersection of literature, film, and philosophy, Hale is able to show the ways artifacts of pop culture are imbued with philosophical insights and the ways political philosophy is both art and science. Her lucid prose makes this book accessible to students and teachers alike. By working through film and literature known well among the artifacts of popular culture, this book is likely to reach a conscientious public for whom technology is simultaneously a threat and a solution.