Hacking into This Book (Introduction) viiLuke Cuddy Part I Level 1 Research Bonus: Increased Wisdom Capacity 1 1 BioShock’s Meta‐Narrative: What BioShock Teaches the Gamer about Gaming 3Collin Pointon 2 The Value of Art in BioShock: Ayn Rand, Emotion, and Choice 15Jason Rose 3 SHODAN vs. the Many: Or, Mind vs. the Body 27Robert M. Mentyka 4 “The cage is somber”: A Feminist Understanding of Elizabeth 38Catlyn Origitano Part II Tears, Time, and Reality 49 5 Rapture in a Physical World: Did Andrew Ryan Choose the Impossible? 51James Cook 6 Would You Kindly Bring Us the Girl and Wipe Away the Debt: Free Will and Moral Responsibility in BioShock Infinite 58Oliver Laas 7 BioShock as Plato’s Cave 69Roger Travis 8 BioShock Infinite and Transworld Individuality: Identity across Space and Time 76Charles Joshua Horn 9 Shockingly Limited: Escaping Columbia’s God of Necessity 86Scott Squires and James McBain Part III The “Union” and the Sodom Below 95 10 “The bindings are there as a safeguard”: Sovereignty and Political Decisions in BioShock Infinite 97Rick Elmore 11 Propaganda, Lies, and Bullshit in BioShock’s Rapture 107Rachel McKinnon 12 The Vox Populi Group, Marx, and Equal Rights for All 114Tyler DeHaven and Chris Hendrickson Part IV The Circus of Values 127 13 Infinite Lighthouses, Infinite Stories: BioShock and the Aesthetics of Video Game Storytelling 129László Kajtár 14 Have You Ever Been to Rapture?: BioShock as an Introduction to Phenomenology 139Stefan Schevelier 15 “Evolve today!”: Human Enhancement Technologies in the BioShock Universe 150Simon Ledder 16 Vending Machine Values: Buying Beauty and Morality in BioShock 161Michael J. Muniz Notes on Contributors 168 Index 173

What does BioShock teach the gamer about gaming? Should we be able to buy beauty and morality from a vending machine? Is BioShock a legitimate critique of Ayn Rand's philosophy? Did Booker ever have free will? Will humans ever be able to shoot lightning out of their hands? BioShock is a critically acclaimed "first-person shooter" video game first released in 2007. While gamers still thrill at taking down a rivet gun–wielding Big Daddy, what truly impresses BioShock aficionados is its incredibly immersive environment—from the atmospheric retro music and chilling audio diaries to a compelling storyline inspired by the controversial philosophy of Ayn Rand. Setting aside the eye-popping visuals of the game's nightmarish underwater dystopia, players must confront a remarkable series of philosophical choices based on morality, free will, and human nature. BioShock and Philosophy features a collection of serious philosophical reflections on questions raised during the course of BioShock game play. Various philosophers consider a wide range of thought-provoking topics and ideas, including the accuracy of game developer Ken Levine's depiction of Rand's philosophy. As well as some of humanity's deepest mysteries, other topics include: The ethical concerns raised by the technologically advanced society portrayed in BioShockMarxist philosophy in relation to the underground insurgency of Vox PopuliQuestions of identity in relation to body and soul raised by Elizabeth's ability to manipulate tears that exist in the fabric of time And what about the possibility of a future dystopian nightmare created by a real-life Andrew Ryan? If that ever happens, the intriguing philosophical musings of BioShock and Philosophy may just help prepare us for such a truly frightening scenario. Considered a sign of the "coming of age" of video games as an artistic medium, the award-winning BioShock franchise covers vast philosophical ground. BioShock and Philosophy presents expert reflections by philosophers (and Bioshock connoisseurs) on this critically acclaimed and immersive fan favorite.