Animation has long been overlooked as source for political thought. The aim of this thesis is to rectify this, and it will do so in two ways. First, it makes a theoretical and empirical case... Show moreAnimation has long been overlooked as source for political thought. The aim of this thesis is to rectify this, and it will do so in two ways. First, it makes a theoretical and empirical case for animation as an intellectual source of political thought that should be used along with philosophical canon. Second, it sheds light on the political significance and expressive potentials of nonconventional sources for political theorists. The thesis explores the philosophical idea of emancipation, and expands the traditional corpus by drawing on Japanese science fiction animation (SF anime), a source that does not normally enter these philosophical debates. It argues that SF anime is a useful site for political theorists to interrogate pressing philosophical ideas, and it can engage with ongoing philosophical discussions through illustrations and thought experiments. Show less
Scholars such as Darko Suvin have successfully argued for science fiction (SF) as fiction that portrays political alternatives through a focus on cognitive processes. This conception of SF... Show moreScholars such as Darko Suvin have successfully argued for science fiction (SF) as fiction that portrays political alternatives through a focus on cognitive processes. This conception of SF minimizes the importance of character emotions, which has opened it to criticism from those who argue in favor of SF as a reflection of people’s wider psychological concerns. This dissertation argues that emotions, even when prominent within the narrative, can contribute directly to the cognitive exploration of political alternatives. If emotions are viewed not as a lack of overt logical reasoning but as a form of potential logic that can also provide alternative perspectives on the SF world, then it becomes possible to look at even emotion-heavy SF as sources of political ideas. This dissertation looks at how the depiction of emotions in SF manga (Japanese comics) affects the conveyance of political ideas. It shows that the portrayal of emotions in science fiction, even those which can be considered “commonplace” or “everyday”, can become political when sufficiently contextualized within alternative SF environments. Whether used to express political ideas or as a way to illuminate SF environments, emotion can expand the scope of possibilities for the exploration of political alternatives in SF. Show less
