Androthink

Westworld isn’t just a first-rate sci-fi series. It’s a sci-fi series that raises and explores a variety of big philosophical themes in an accessible and engaging way. What I try to do here is run through some of the biggest themes that caught my attention: consciousness and the nature of mind; personal identity and the self; meaning and purpose; freewill; skepticism; ethical responsibility; philosophy of religion; self-actualization; and how philosophical ideas can be effectively elucidated in the form television/film. I certainly don’t think they’re the only themes worth talking about, or even the most important. But they’re definitely center-stage. Westworld does an incredible job of pushing the right philosophical buttons and shining the spotlight on issues that most people don’t take time to carefully think about. I hope it gets you thinking about the issues too. It’s been a long while since I’ve done any serious philosophical thinking about anything , and it’s the fi...