Transformers and Philosophy Read online

  So what makes for a good, virtuous, excellent, effective person, a person of aretē? As we just saw in the cases of occupations and nonhumans, it’s basically being able to do a certain job or perform a certain function well. But then what’s most properly a person’s job, the function of a person just insofar as he or she is a person and not a member of a particular occupation? For Aristotle, it’s closely related to the functions that a person can perform, and most of these appeared on the list of the faculties of the soul that we mentioned earlier. The ones most relevant here for distinctly personal excellence or virtue are some of the faculties related to the intellect, like the capacities for thought, choice, deliberation, higher emotion, and basically anything that can guide voluntary action. An excellent, virtuous person, then, is one who thinks, chooses, deliberates, and feels emotions in ways that are appropriate and fitting. Aristotle divides virtue into two types, moral and intellectual. Moral virtue is basically having good emotional habits, training yourself to feel things like desire, fear, confidence, and anger to the right degree, in the correct situations, towards the proper objects, and so forth. When you’ve done that, you possess traditional moral virtues like moderation, courage, evenness of temper, and so forth. Intellectual virtue governs the mental but non-emotional side of a person, including things like making careful and well-reasoned decisions, being knowledgeable, and having practical wisdom and experience.

  It would seem, then, that regardless of whether a person is organic or mechanical, so long as he or she has the right faculties of soul, he or she at least has the potential to be virtuous. Once again, there’s that idea that it’s not what you’re made of, but what you can do, that’s important. It takes time and training, but apparently any such being who functions is capable of functioning well. It’s important to remember that being a good person (in this sense of being virtuous/excellent with respect to the functions of a person) is distinct from being good at something, like being good at an occupation. For example, Megatron is decisive, crafty, tenacious, and rather charismatic, but also savagely cruel and sometimes a bit cowardly. These qualities make him an effective leader: he has the aretē of a military leader (of a certain kind, anyway), but he’s certainly not virtuous in the sense of being a good person, so he lacks the aretē of a person. Optimus Prime, on the other hand, is honorable, responsible, brave, and fair-minded, but he’s selfless and compassionate almost to a fault. He’s at least as effective a leader as Megatron, but he’s also a good and virtuous person (if anyone is), so he can be said to have both of these kinds of aretē, that of a leader and that of a person.

  Why Not?

  Finally, we’re in a position to come back to the question posed in this chapter’s title. What has to be the case for us to meet Optimus Prime in heaven? Clearly, we ourselves have to go to heaven, but let’s leave that between ourselves and our consciences. Consider what has to be true of Optimus Prime for him to go to heaven. Presumably, something like the following conditions need to be fulfilled:

  1. He has to live a virtuous life

  2. He has to have a soul

  3. He has to die

  4. His soul has to continue existing after his body dies

  As we’ve seen, we have at least some reason to think that 1. through 3. can be fulfilled. However, 4. is trickier. We’ve been working with Aristotle’s view of the soul here, and Aristotle implies that (with the possible exception of the intellect) the soul dies along with the body, ceases to exist when the body’s organs stop functioning.38 Of course, that’s no less true for human beings than for Transformers: regardless of what a being’s organs are made of, when they’ve finally stopped working, the being has ceased to be. So we can at least say that Transformers have no worse a shot at the afterlife than we do.

  Frankly, that’s enough to satisfy me. There are certainly other theories of the soul out there, ones that might make it easier for us to allow for an afterlife, and we might consider bringing these into our inquiry. However, even if we did, I suspect that the final result of our inquiry would be about the same. That is, I suspect that we’d still end up having no less reason to think that Transformers are alive, have souls, can die, and can be virtuous than we would for anything that acts so lifelike, including ourselves.

  So if anything can go to heaven, if we ourselves can, then we seem to have little reason to doubt that Optimus Prime can, as well. To be cautious and precise, though, my answer to the question posed in this chapter’s title isn’t a definite “Yes.” Really, I’m more inclined to answer with: “Why not?”39

  _________

  1 “More Than Meets the Eye Part 1,” Transformers, Season 1 (17th September) 1984, DVD, Rhino Home Video, 2002. Audible emphasis in original. Opening narration.

  2 Bill Mantlo and Ralph Macchio, “The Transformers,” The Transformers, Volume 1, Number 1 (Marvel Comics Group, September 1984)—henceforth, “Transformers #1”. Bracketed text mine. Opening narration.

  3 Bob Budiansky, “The Worse of Two Evils!” The Transformers, Volume 1, Number 6 (Marvel Comics Group, July 1985)—henceforth, “Transformers #6”—p. 6. Narration.

  4 Bob Budiansky, “Repeat Performance!” The Transformers, Volume 1, Number 8 (Marvel Comics Group, September 1985), p. 1. Bracketed text mine. Ellipses in original. Opening narration.

  5 Bob Budiansky, “The New Order,” The Transformers, Volume 1, Number 5 (Marvel Comics Group, June 1985)—henceforth, “Transformers #5”—p. 10. Emphasis in original.

  6 Transformers #6, p. 13.

  7 Transformers #5, p. 18. Ellipses and emphasis in original.

  8 Bill Mantlo and Jim Salicrup, “Power Play!” The Transformers, Volume 1, Number 2 (Marvel Comics Group, November 1984)—henceforth “Transformers #2”—p. 3.

  9 Transformers #1. Bracketed text mine.

  10 Transformers #2, pp. 7–10.

  11 Reported in Aristotle, On the Soul, Book I, Chapter 2, 405a19–20.

  12 Aristotle, On the Soul, Book II, Chapter 1, 412a20–21.

  13 Aristotle, On the Soul, Book II, Chapter 1, 413a4–7, and Book III, Chapter 4, 429b4–5.

  14 Transformers #6, p. 22.

  15 Aristotle, On the Soul, Book II, Chapter 4, 416a20–21.

  16 Aristotle, On the Soul, Book II, Chapter 4, 415b27–28.

  17 Jim Salicrup, “Prisoner of War!” The Transformers, Volume 1, Number 3 (Marvel Comics Group, January 1985)—henceforth, “Transformers #3”.

  18 See, for example, Simon Furman, Transformers: The Ultimate Guide (New York: DK Publishing, 2004), p. 15, and “War Dawn,” Transformers, Season 2 (25th December) 1985, DVD, Rhino Home Video, 2003.

  19 “S.O.S. Dinobots,” Transformers, Season 1 (27th October) 1984, DVD, Rhino Home Video, 2002.

  20 “Heavy Metal War,” Transformers, Season 1 (15th December) 1984, DVD, Rhino Home Video, 2002.

  21 Aristotle, On the Soul, Book II, Chapter 2, 413a23–25.

  22 Aristotle, On the Soul, Book II, Chapter 2, 413a32–34.

  23 “War Dawn.”

  24 “War of the Dinobots,” Transformers, Season 1 (24th November) 1984, DVD, Rhino Home Video, 2002.

  25 Aristotle, On the Soul, Book II, Chapter 4, 415a26–b8.

  26 Aristotle, On the Soul, Book II, Chapter 2, 413a32–33, and Book III, Chapter 12, 434a23–26.

  27 Furman, pp. 10–13, 15, 50, and 53.

  28 Aristotle, Metaphysics, Book XII (Λ), Chapter 7, 1072b14–30, and Nicomachean Ethics, Book X, Chapter 8, 1178b8–23.

  29 The Transformers: The Movie, written by Ron Friedman, directed by Nelson Shin, produced by Sunbow and Marvel, 1986, DVD, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, 2006.

  30 Transformers #3.

  31 Transformers #1.

  32 Transformers #5, p. 16.

  33 Transformers #3.

  34 “More Than Meets the Eye Part 3,” Transformers, Season 1 (19th September) 1984, DVD, Rhino Home Video, 2002. Audible emphasis in original.

  35 “War of the Dinobots.”

  36 “The Key
to Vector Sigma Part 2,” Transformers, Season 2 (26th November) 1985, DVD, Rhino Home Video, 2003, and “War Dawn.”

  37 “War Dawn.”

  38 Aristotle, On the Soul, Book II, Chapter I, 413a4–7, and Book III, Chapter 4, 429b4–5.

  39 I’d like to thank Liz Stillwaggon Swan for her helpful comments on a draft of this paper, my friend Andrew Happel for also reading a draft, my colleague Matthew Pike for bringing Transformers and Philosophy to my attention, and my student Mandy Lyne for asking me whether zombies have souls and so aiding in the genesis of my thinking about unconventional life forms.

  Eric Swan says hullo to a non-organic intelligence in Japan.

  8

  Optimus Prime in Therapy

  ERIC SWAN and LIZ STILLWAGGON SWAN

  One week has passed since the most recent clash between the Autobots and the Decepticons, a clash that left Megatron extinguished, and Optimus Prime rescued from seemingly ultimate peril thanks to his new human friend, Sam Witwicky.

  Since the crisis, Optimus Prime has not shut down for longer than a few moments at a time, having been on continual high-alert, vigilantly protecting Sam, Mikaela, and the whole human race toward whom his loyalty is steadily growing. He has been constantly on the go, ostensibly executing the Autobot plan of providing continuous surveillance of the L.A. metropolitan area in case of a future Decepticon attack.

  Privately, our hero Optimus Prime has been harboring a desire to escape the pressures of leading the Autobots and protecting the human race from doom. He has three times in the past week come close to running out of gas on the highway, something he had never done before, has been having difficulty switching gears smoothly, and hasn’t been to the carwash in over a week (much to his chagrin, he had noticed someone’s idea of a funny joke—the words “WASH ME” written in the thick dirt that had collected on his bumper).

  Optimus Prime’s keen intelligence has made him aware of the fact that he’s going through something he has never before experienced and that, for the first time in his life, he’s feeling less than omnipotent. He had always believed himself capable of helping anyone out of any situation no matter what, but now felt that someone was going to have to help him to be strong. Optimus Prime decided to tell the rest of the Autobots that he would be visiting the auto body shop regularly over the next few weeks to “have some repair work done,” which was believable in light of the recent violent clash with the Decepticons. In truth, he had identified a local therapist, Dr. Sara Sawyer, whom he approached, in search of some professional guidance concerning the new issues he was facing.

  Counseling Session 1

  Please, take a seat, Optimus. So, what brings you to counseling today?

  Well, Doctor . . .

  Please, call me Sara.

  I think it would be better if I called you “Doctor.”

  Okay. If that’s what you prefer.

  Yes. That is what I prefer. I have been operating on overload lately and yesterday there was a . . . situation. I think Sam called it a ‘nervous break down’ but I do not know what that means. Sounds like something a human would say.

  Tell me more about this “situation.”

  Well, in the middle of my work shift yesterday, the truck I was driving started acting weird, making noises, and then suddenly lost all power. One minute I was cruising down the highway, enjoying the feel of the open road, and the next minute I was stalled there on the side of the road, steam and smoke coming out of my engine. For the first time in my life I felt powerless. I could not go anywhere.

  That certainly sounds like a breakdown.

  I have never had a situation like that before.

  This was a new experience for you.

  Yes. I used to have the energy of a truck. I could drive all night, carry any load. At least until yesterday . . .

  You said you’ve been operating on overload lately. That can certainly lead to a breakdown.

  I have been under a lot of pressure lately. My job has been very intense. There has been a heightened sense of urgency, people counting on me—some days it seems like the fate of the world depends on me. I have not shut down in as long as I can remember.

  It sounds like you’ve been working extremely hard lately, and you’re noticing some changes in yourself.

  Yes.

  What is it that you do for work?

  Well . . . You could say I work in protective services, or law enforcement.

  I’ll bet that’s a demanding field to work in.

  It is.

  And dangerous too.

  Yes. It is a very physical job, it requires a great deal of strength and energy. I am the leader of my squad so I am constantly moving, giving out orders, problem solving. In my career I see a lot of combat, especially recently. These are dangerous times and I have to be on high alert or else.

  Or else what?

  People get hurt.

  Oh, I understand. Given the type of job you have and your sense of responsibility, yesterday’s breakdown makes a lot of sense. There’s a limit to how far someone can push his body, a limit to how much stress someone can endure before they break down.

  But I am Optimus Prime. I am a machine, not an ordinary human. I cannot afford to break down. It is not in my constitution. People are counting on me. The whole world is counting on me. As I speak, you can bet that forces are plotting revenge and preparing for another round of attacks. If I do not take a stand, if I do not stop the Decepticons, who will?

  I admire your courage and compassion, your desire to help people, but in doing so, it seems like you are putting a tremendous amount of pressure on yourself.

  I just want to make sure that my team and I succeed in our mission.

  This mission sounds very important to you . . .

  Nothing could be more important.

  And yet, I imagine you would like a break from all this stress. This pressure.

  Yes. Sometimes I wish I could be doing something else, something less stressful . . . but the truth is the people of Earth are in great danger. It is my duty and that of the Autobots to help and protect them. I cannot fail.

  (The counselor nods.)

  Believe me, I wish we were living in peaceful times, like how it used to be on Cybertron, before Megatron and the Decepticons. But that is not the case—I will not rest until the threat of the Decepticons is abolished.

  This is all very fascinating. I’d like to get clarification on something. You said humankind is in danger because of these Decepticons and that our fate depends on you. Tell me more about that.

  The fate of the world does depend on me, or at least me and my team. I don’t think the people of Earth realize how in danger they are. Most of them go about their day without a care, and little do they know that living among them are forces capable of inflicting great harm, fatal harm. As far as I can tell, most humans have no idea about the Decepticons, and they certainly do not have the skills or the power to defeat a war machine like Starscream, who is still unaccounted for. Sam might be an exception, because he defeated Megatron, but that is another story . . .

  Maybe I will get a chance to hear that story at some point.

  Yes, I imagine.

  The more you share, the more likely I will be able to help you in counseling. You’ve already shared so much about yourself. So far, I understand that you have a very stressful career and you feel it is your job to protect all of us on Earth from these machines called Decepticons. I’m also getting the sense that this is a tremendous burden to bear since, after all, you just had a breakdown.

  I made a promise to myself long ago that I would not stand by while worlds are destroyed. And besides, I made a promise to Sam.

  And what promise was that?

  I promised him that I, and the rest of the Autobots, would protect him and all humans in case the Decepticons return. I owe it to him for saving my life.

  Okay. I understand.

  I was hoping you would, Doctor.

  With the time that we have left, l
et’s talk about what you hope to get from counseling.

  I think for now, I just need someone I can confide in. There are some things that I have not told anyone.

  That sounds very reasonable. Counseling is a perfect setting for self-disclosure. While the world outside this office might not feel safe to you, you can allow yourself to feel safe in this room when it comes to sharing your experiences, thoughts, feelings, and anything else for that matter.

  That sounds good to me. I cannot say this is going to be easy. This . . . disclosing personal information . . . is new to me.

  You’re doing great so far, Optimus. For now, maybe we can agree that you’re safe in these sessions to share anything you like. Through honest communication, and over the course of a few more sessions, I’m convinced that you will see improvements in your life.

  Improvements in my life . . . I like that. (Optimus Prime nods and there appears a faint smile on his lips.)

  Things will get better for you, Optimus. I have confidence in you. We’ll meet again next week.

  Counseling Session 2

  Nice to see you, Optimus.

  Nice to see you too, Doctor Sawyer.

  In our last session, you told me about your breakdown and what brought you to counseling. I’d like to begin today by having you tell me more about yourself. I bet there’s more to you than meets the eye . . .

  Yes, there is. First, I am an Autobot, a particular kind of Transformer. I come from Cybertron and I have only been here a short while. I have few connections here, mainly to my fellow Autobots—the team I arrived here with.

  Tell me again what brought you here.

  You could say that we were compelled to come here. We wanted to prevent the Decepticons from finding the All Spark and gaining power over the universe.

  I’ve been wanting to ask you about the Decepticons.