The film was based (loosely) on the novella "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, the most influential editor in the history of speculative fiction...
The philosophy of this movie is one of my favorite things about it. Love this question, does an assimilant have a concept of self? This one seems to have intelligence…
My question really goes further - would it be possible to be a Thing and not know it, to think you were a person when you were really ready to burst into monstrous form at any time, like blood prodded with a branding iron and becoming a creature?
The philosophy of the film generally connects with the concept of the philosophical zombie - somebody that simulates conscious behaviour but has no consciousness. It's unclear how much human behaviour a Thing could emulate, and if it can go the whole hog, walking talking and interacting, would it not have a fully human consciousness?
Can a Thing not know it’s a Thing? Does it think it’s a human? I don’t think you can answer that question until you’ve determined the concept of self issue first.
1- Does it know itself?
2- What does it know itself as?
Not sure we can assign human consciousness when we can’t even define it. Does a psychopath have human consciousness? They can only approximate human interaction, there’s no emotional depth or true feeling for others. Are those necessary for a consciousness? If not, what is?
And in response to your question about a psychopath, I think we can say for sure they have a consciousness. It may be deficient in what we consider a full human conscious experience, but they have sensations and thoughts, they are aware of their sensations and thoughts, can describe and consider them... And that's a working definition of a consciousness.
This is where the zombie comes in - in the philosophy of mind, a zombie is identical to a human in all respects, but has no consciousness. Could an unconscious being simulate being a human with enough mimicry? If so, maybe consciousness isn't required for human-level intelligence.
For example there's the question of whether the two men at the end, one or both, have become Things. Both talk and behave like regular men. There's even outlandish theories that McCready is a Thing almost from the beginning. Certainly the other guy in the blood-test scene is a Thing, but he doesn't say much. In all cases they'd have to be conscious things... maybe. If so maybe the conscious Thing convinces itself it's a human. It's a delightful paradox to contemplate...
A change is coming.
My prospects are looking up.
Today I will be you.
Ha! A look inside the mind of the monster! I love it🖤
The film was based (loosely) on the novella "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, the most influential editor in the history of speculative fiction...
That has been on my TBR for so long. I really need to get to it.
• Icy winds howl fierce
Beneath the snow, something stirs
Who can we trust now?
• Neon lights flicker
Paranoia grips the streets
Masks hide true faces
• Am I still myself?
Cells divide, thoughts multiplying
Identity blurs
• Alien tendrils
Infiltrate human tissue
Mimicry perfect
• Trust / shattered
Self / uncertain
Look / inside / monster?
I love these!! I think the last one is my favorite, everything reduced to basics as survival mode kicks in🖤
Wonderful! It builds very nicely to a brilliant ending... 😎
Thank you!
Wow Gloria! 🌸Not sure which I like best! The first, possibly! X
I know -my blood knows - I am I
and not That - but does That
know itself any different?
The philosophy of this movie is one of my favorite things about it. Love this question, does an assimilant have a concept of self? This one seems to have intelligence…
My question really goes further - would it be possible to be a Thing and not know it, to think you were a person when you were really ready to burst into monstrous form at any time, like blood prodded with a branding iron and becoming a creature?
The philosophy of the film generally connects with the concept of the philosophical zombie - somebody that simulates conscious behaviour but has no consciousness. It's unclear how much human behaviour a Thing could emulate, and if it can go the whole hog, walking talking and interacting, would it not have a fully human consciousness?
Can a Thing not know it’s a Thing? Does it think it’s a human? I don’t think you can answer that question until you’ve determined the concept of self issue first.
1- Does it know itself?
2- What does it know itself as?
Not sure we can assign human consciousness when we can’t even define it. Does a psychopath have human consciousness? They can only approximate human interaction, there’s no emotional depth or true feeling for others. Are those necessary for a consciousness? If not, what is?
And in response to your question about a psychopath, I think we can say for sure they have a consciousness. It may be deficient in what we consider a full human conscious experience, but they have sensations and thoughts, they are aware of their sensations and thoughts, can describe and consider them... And that's a working definition of a consciousness.
This is where the zombie comes in - in the philosophy of mind, a zombie is identical to a human in all respects, but has no consciousness. Could an unconscious being simulate being a human with enough mimicry? If so, maybe consciousness isn't required for human-level intelligence.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/zombies/
For example there's the question of whether the two men at the end, one or both, have become Things. Both talk and behave like regular men. There's even outlandish theories that McCready is a Thing almost from the beginning. Certainly the other guy in the blood-test scene is a Thing, but he doesn't say much. In all cases they'd have to be conscious things... maybe. If so maybe the conscious Thing convinces itself it's a human. It's a delightful paradox to contemplate...
What kind of person
Would try to kill this poor dog?
Aww, who's a good boy?
Nooo! Poor doggos 😭
Unknown among us
Inconspicuous disguise
Mimics life unseen
Ooo love this! Hiding in plain sight🖤Well done!
🌸💜🌸
Nice job! That captures the essence of it very well... 😎
Inconspicuous is such a fabulous word!!! Kudos.
Thanks! 🌸
Port Arthur Drive-In
Overheard over hot dogs
“That Thang is scary.”
Nicely done!🙌
Thanks!
Ha!
Thawed from ancient ice
It assimilates us all.
"Who goes there?" Not man...
Brings a whole new twist to this question. Humans can answer it with a lie, but that’s nothing compared to what this alien is doing.
It's also the title of the story "The Thing" is based on...😁
Interstellar space
Cold and soulless void that spat
A formless hunger
Nice!! I love this! Kind sounds like a black hole as well which is such a great comparison🖤
Oooh! I didn't think of it that way. I usually think of black holes pulling everything in, but what if the Thing came from a black hole.
Maybe! It’d be fun to write about something that could escape a black hole!
I'm going to put that on my stuff to write about list.
The hunched moment loosed
Alien crouched, teeth charging
Fall dead and rise up.
Ooo nice! Such great imagery🖤
Mattias, Lars, Jed.
Bennings, Palmer and Copper.
We'll never forget.
RIP 🪦🥺
Alcohol preserved blood veins
Awoken from stupor
Got t a drink? It’s my thing.
Ha! Hey we all have our vices🖤
Are you even you?
And am I me? Or are we,
Just facsimiles? 😎
Nice! Love the internal rhyme, give the poem a great rhythm🖤
Thanks! It's always a fun time, when you can squeeze in a rhyme. Haha... 😎
Very clever!
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it... 😎
Cloned cold blood stranger,
You’re not who you claimed you are.
But were you ever?
Yes! So good, are any of us really who we say we are? Especially on line…
In an icy tomb
It awaits release to morph
Existence is change
Love this! Change is the only constant🖤
Yesssssss
Haha! Had to do this one!