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Contribution to Book
Perception in Black Mirror: Who Controls What You See?
Black Mirror and Philosophy (2019)
  • Brian Stiltner
  • Dr. Anna Vaughn, Sacred Heart University
Abstract
Black Mirror is full of technologies that manipulate people’s sensory perceptions. Philosophers of perception explain that our brains actively construct what we sense based on previous knowledge, expectations, and emotions, without us even being aware of this framing. Many Black Mirror episodes illustrate the mistakes that people can make when they misunderstand this framing process. Some episodes suggest that highly effective virtual reality technology could foil the strategies that Descartes recommended for distinguishing hallucinations and dreams from reality. Yet other episodes warn how powerful institutions can punitively wield the power of control over perception. Yet in rare optimistic moments, Black Mirror demonstrates the value of relying on the help of other people to hold firm to deeper truths in the face of forces that would manipulate us.
Keywords
  • perception,
  • senses,
  • predictive coding,
  • Descartes,
  • Robert Nozick,
  • experience machine,
  • video games,
  • virtual reality,
  • parenting,
  • Foucault,
  • Panopticon,
  • propaganda
Publication Date
December, 2019
Editor
David Kyle Johnson
Publisher
Wiley
Series
Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series
ISBN
9781119578260
Citation Information
Brian Stiltner and Anna Vaughn. "Perception in Black Mirror: Who Controls What You See?" Oxford, UKBlack Mirror and Philosophy (2019) p. 311 - 319
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/brian_stiltner/48/