Asimov's Foundation and Philosophy

Isaac Asimov (January 2, 1920 -April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at BostonUniversity. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "BigThree" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and ArthurC. Clarke. A prolific writer, he wrote or edited more than 500 books. He alsowrote an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. Best known for his hardscience fiction, Asimov also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as muchnon-fiction. (Wikipedia)Simply stated, novelist IsaacAsimov's Foundation trilogy is arguably the most influential science-fictionepic of all time.Published as a series of booksand short stories from the 1940s to the 1980s, the series has impacted mostsubsequent science fiction, and influenced sciences like sociology, statistics,and psychology. The story has now been made into a highly acclaimed TV serial(Foundation), on Apple TV, the second season now shooting in Prague.The story begins 45,000 years inthe future, and spans centuries in which a vast and successful interstellarhuman empire is unknowingly headed for total collapse. Using an advancedmathematical technique called psycho-history, a brilliant scientist, HariSeldon, predicts the collapse and establishes a "foundation" to bringabout the resurrection of human civilization many generations in the future.Asimov's Foundation andPhilosophy is a collection of twenty-four chapter by philosophers exploring thephilosophical issues and puzzles raised by this epic story. Topics includewhether one individual can make a big difference in history, the ethics ofmanipulating large populations of people to bring about a desirable futureresult, the Dao of non-action, the impact of education on future generations,whether human affairs are governed by predictable cycles, whether attempts toplan for the future must be thwarted by free will, the futility ofempire-building, the ethics of cloning human beings, and the use of logic inanalyzing human behavior.Critique: Of special appeal tothe legions of Isaac Asimov fans, and deftly co-edited by the team of JoshuaHeter and Josef Thomas Simpson, "Asimov's Foundation and Philosophy"is a compendium of twenty-three erudite and inherently interesting articles onthe impact of the Foundation series on popular culture, introducing the conceptof 'psychohistory'. Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an eight pageBibliography, a four page listing of the contributors and their credentials(The Encyclopedists), and a three page Index, "Asimov's Foundation andPhilosophy" is a significant and unreservedly recommended addition topersonal, community, and academic library Popular Culture & Philosophycollections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Asimov'sFoundation and Philosophy" is also readily available in a digital bookformat (Kindle, $8.99).Editorial Note #1: Joshua Heter(https://philpeople.org/profiles/joshua-heter) teaches philosophy at JeffersonCollege, Missouri, and is co-editor of Better Call Saul and Philosophy: I ThinkTherefore I Scam (2022).Editorial Note #2: Josef ThomasSimpson (https://philpeople.org/profiles/josef-thomas-simpson) is an academiccoach and part-time lecturer. He contributed chapters to Westworld and Philosophy:Mind Equals Blown (2019) and Orphan Black and Philosophy: Grand Theft DNA(2016).