because i am a true nerd, i write a letter to my philosophy teacher tying in fringe to terms we have learned
Fringe is a bundle of ethical problems. Just one after the other. The entire series rests on how Walter Bishop
suspends the ethical & sacrifices EVERYTHING for his son. It’s quite similar to Abraham & Isaac,
actually. Walter wants to save his son,
& yet he knows that the “right” thing is not interfering with this other
universe & plucking him from where he really belongs, & yet this is
what he needs to do. Saving his son, loving his son before all
else, is his subjective truth that he lives by.
& yet this starts a domino effect of negative consequences. Walter Bishop is NOT thinking in terms of
utilitarianism. He places two universes
in danger for one boy & nearly dies himself because of it.
The show deals a lot with utilitarian thinking versus the
suspension of the ethical. Should these individuals
put the entire world in danger for their one subjective truth, or factor in the
greater good? More often than not, they
choose the subjective truth. & yet
that also brings negative consequences for everyone else.
There’s also the ethical debate of chemically created
Ubermensch. Olivia, the main character,
was experimented on as a child with Cortexiphan, removing the limits of her
mind. It’s pretty much the pinnacle of
the world having to conform to your ideas; the entire world must conform to
Olivia’s will because of her power [you see this all throughout the
series.] These Overmen are created by
Walter & Dr. Bell to save the world… & yet it was done without the
children’s consent. & yet having
these Cortexichildren with the powers to change their reality as they see fit,
to truly recreate the world in new values, is wonderful & could usher in a
new world [something that Dr. Bell comes to exploit later.] But is it “right?” These children, now adults, were created as a
means to an end; they aren’t viewed as humans, but commonly as anomalies &
weapons. They are exploited, but is that
exploitation excused because it’s for the survival of the universe/s? This is explored.
Olivia is also put in a lot of mind / body situations. Olivia is put multiple times into a state of
pure “mind” in a sensory deprivation tank & / or a myriad of drugs, trying
to connect with the minds of others hundreds of miles away – sometimes deceased
others that do not exist in their bodies anymore. Even though their body is decaying &
dead, the memories still remain & later imprint themselves into
Olivia. It seems that the mind can live
without the body… for a little while. &
later in the ultimate example, Peter literally erases himself out of existence,
yet traces of him still remain in the minds of his loved ones – but Olivia
especially. & through a combination
of the power of love, Olivia’s reality
must bend to her will powers, & the immaterial existing [even in the
abstract] separate from the material, he is able to come back. But love is a huge factor.
Fringe deals a lot
about choice [the ultimate choices Walter Bishop makes are just a few]. & it really is about the synthesis of the
infinite & the finite. Different
timelines & universes are determined because of finalized choices, choices
that can’t always be undone. Out of
infinite possibilities [& possibly infinite parallel universes], our world
is this because of these choices. Your life is this because of these choices.
& that comes with the question of identity in these
parallel universes. There are people who
are the same, yet so very different.
What makes us us? Our
choices? Our genetics? Nature?
Nurture? & what about romances
between individuals that are different, yet the same, yet different?
The thing for Olivia coming back,
and learning what happened between Peter and the other Olivia, you’d think
she’d have some questions. Who am I? How could you not see who she was or who I
am? Does that mean I only exist to you in the external — what I look like? What
about my spirit? To have someone fall for someone they only think is you —
that’s hauntingly heartbreaking.” ~ Anna Torv in EW, 2010
The Observers question the possibilities of free will. They are also genetically created Overmen,
men with the ability to change the values of the world as they see fit [which
we soon find out is commonly removing human threats out of the equation.] They can see into the future & shape the
future by molding people onto “paths” that they have created. Quite opposite of Lao-tzu thought &
finding the “path” for yourself, these Observers can put you on a path that you
don’t even know; they are controlling your life & guiding you to objectives
that you may not be aware of. They can also
see our choices before we make them; speak our words before we speak them;
think our thoughts before we think them [this is terrifying.] They can peer into the deepest corners of our
mind & pull out anything they want. This is determinism HELL. Is there free will? Is there freedom? & can there be free will & freedom amongst
a herd of Observers, created with a purpose?
These masses of genetics are created to be the ideal people, the
pinnacle of evolution – the truly authentic individuals… & yet they’re
not. They are a herd in & of
themselves. They obey each other &
cold reasoning. & they do not
express their will to power nobly. They
force others to conform to their wills to the cruelest degrees. You will
be disgusted with what they do in the 5th season.
Yet September, the Observer we become the most familiar
with, challenges the herd of supposed “authentic” individuals. By being with humans, he forms his own
subjective truths. He experiences
forbidden emotions & the most forbidden – love. & with love he is willing to sacrifice
anything for it. Even himself. He is one of the few Observers to become
fully authentic. [Plot twist but this
entire letter is a plot twist: they “demote” him to being a human. But this is ironically fitting. Humanity fits him. September does not cry that he is “human, all
too human.” He doesn’t impose
limitations on himself, like the Observers thought that he would. He pushes farther to become more than
human. He becomes better than the
Observers. & his son is better than
the Observers still.]
& there are countless other themes, but this is already
hella long.
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