Also includes a Matrix glossary, and a cast of
Trade Review
"Given the wide variety of topics covered, the unique perspective, and the inviting style, Splinter truly is the book Matrix fans have been waiting for. As an introduction to philosophy, it's first-rate, both for fans of the trilogy, and even those who aren't." THEMATRIX101.COM
"The book is exceptionally well-organized: Lawrence has done a remarkable job of isolating the salient issues and examining them systematically, one by one, chapter by chapter, in a colloquial, witty style that enhances the accessibility of his method." The Boston Phoenix, Friday September 24, 2004
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vi
Matrix Quotations Legend viii
Introduction: Jacking into the Philosophy Behind the Matrix 1
1 Before the Philosophy: Understanding the Films 7
2 Tumbling Down the Rabbit Hole: Knowledge, Reality, and the Pit of Skepticism 20
3 Mind and Body in Zion 32
4 Are Sentient Machines Possible? 47
5 The Problem is Choice: Control, Free Will, and Causal Determinism 56
6 How to Really Bake Your Noodle: Time, Fate, and the Problem of Foreknowledge 69
7 Virtual Bodies: The Construction of Race and Gender in the Matrix 85
8 Agent Smith’s Moral Challenge 102
9 De-Cyphering Right and Wrong 114
10 There Is No Spoon: Reflections on the Material World 127
11 Morpheus and the Leap of Faith 138
12 Facing the Absurd: Existentialism for Humans and Programs 150
13 The Tao of the Code 168
14 Overcoming Your Own Matrix 183
Matrix Cast of Characters 198
Matrix Glossary 207
Cast of Philosophers 214
Index 221
