Episode 31: Her

Two Philosophers Drink Beer & Discuss Film

In this episode, we examine the 2013 film 'Her', directed by Spike Jonze and starring Joaquin Phoenix with Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde. Our conversation highlights a mood of loneliness as central to the film and explores Hannah Arendt's view that loneliness constitutes one of the main characteristics of modern life. We then consider the manner in which, what Shoshana Zuboff labels, 'surveillance capitalism' functions as an central aspect of the operating system that Theodore becomes romantically involved with in the film. Our discussion concludes by referencing, friend of the show, Isabel Millar to demonstrate how the concept of 'intelligence' has been largely misunderstood by much of the current thinking on the issue of artificial intelligence, before offering some final reflections on what Samantha's sexuality intimates about her as an individual subject. Follow us on twitter.com/twophilpodcast or instagram.com/twophilpodcast to get involved with the discussion.