I, Robot

When I first saw the previews for I, Robot, I thought that it looked kinda cheesy. However, other day when I watched it with my friend John, I was utterly surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. The film effectively deals with several difficult metaphysical issues. What is the self? Do we have a soul? Of course, naturalism would like us to think that we are is nothing but lights and clockwork. It's always amazing to see how a narrative can communicate in two hours with ease what dry philosophical exposition takes months to communicate!

Here's a great quote from the movie:

"There have always been ghosts in the machine; ramdon segment of code that have grouped together to form unexpected protocols. Unanticipated, these free radicals engender questions of free will, creativity, and even the nature of what we might call the soul.

"Why is it that when some robots are left in darkness, they will seek out the light? Why is it that when some robots are stored in an empty space, they will group together rather than stand alone?

"How do we explain this behavior? Random segments of code? Or is it something more? When does a perceptual schematic become consciousness? When does a difference engine become the search for truth? When does the personality simulation become the bitter mote of a soul?"