Is Data Human?: The Metaphysics Of Star Trek (Paperback)

~ Rick Hanley (Author) "all fiction concerns itself with the human condition, and Star Trek is no exception..." (more)
Key Phrases: fission twin, close continuer, belief generator, Star Trek, Turing Test, Next Generation (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Professor Richard Hanley faced the dilemma plaguing so many philosophy professors today—how to entice students into the classroom. Based upon his own successful course, Is Data Human presents a thoroughly unique and enjoyable way of introducing students to the basic concepts of philosophy as seen through the lens of Star Trek. From the nature of a person, of minds, and of consciousness, to ethics and morality, to the nature and extent of knowledge and free will, Hanley brings a fresh perspective to the contemporary debates concerning humankind’s place in the world.Dare to boldly go where no philosophy professor has gone before—a classroom packed with eager and enthusiastic students.

About the Author

Richard Hanley is an assistant professor of philosophy at Central Michigan University. He has taught various Star Trek courses, including “A Star Trek Introduction to Philosophy” and “Philosophy of the Mind” using Star Trek episodes as examples.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (April 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465045480
• ISBN-13: 978-0465045488
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #939,980 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A mixed bag., June 22, 2002

By	Jeffrey Ogle (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First of all, I agree with Murray Moffat that the first part of this book, which dicusses the criteria of personhood (a moral concept) is boring. This is because it is too loosely written. Hanley's discussion seems unfocused; sometimes one paragraph does not seem to follow from another. I still have not figured out what precisely the author concludes about organisms that display linguistic behavior, for instance. His comments on this issue are scattered, and, I believe, are never satisfactorily brought together. Chapters 4 and 5 of Part II constitute by far the best part of the work. In these chapters, Hanley discusses personal identity over time, i.e. synchronic identity, in opposition to diachronic identity, or identity at an instant, discussed in the first part. The first part of the book asks, "How can we identify a person?" and the first two chapters of the second part ask, "How can we identify the SAME person at two different times?" Hanley makes a compelling case (though, ultimately, I cannot agree) in the second part that continuity of psychology or pscychological states must be our guide in determining who is the same person as whom. The final chapter, chapter 6, seems somewhat disconnected from the rest of the book in discussing time travel, though this topic obviously fits with the general theme of the book. It is a satisfying discussion, though not as lively as that in the preceding two chapters. The epilogue seems preachy and entirely out of place, but only comprises a few pages. So, the rating for this book breaks down as follows:

Part I (chapters 1-3): 3 stars
Chapters 4 and 5: 5 stars
Chapter 6: 4 stars
Epilogue: 1 star

Averaging, but discounting the epilogue (since it is so short), we arrive at the rating of 4 stars for the book overall.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This just bored me to no end., April 24, 2006

By	K. Smith - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a student of philosophy and rhetoric and have spent many hours of my life buried in complicated and dense reading. But this book just takes the cake!

It is not complicated. It is not dense. It is just boring.

The idea is interesting, but Hanley spends too much time on basic philosophy and too little on the relationship of Star Trek and its philosophy. However I am sure a few undergraduates would be comfortably induced into an introductory class with this title.

If you really want to read the book, read it out loud as though it were being presented as a series of lectures. It is much easier to follow.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More thought provoking than your usual Star Trek episode., March 16, 1999

By A Customer

I really would only recommend this book to Star Trek fans, since the author frequently refers to the episodes. They would probably find it very intriguing. I still was able to enjoy it because I knew a little about philosophy and AI; however, if you're not familiar with Star Trek or philosophy of mind, then don't bother. Of course, that should go without saying...