You thought video games were a waste of time? Well, think again. These 8-bit video games can teach you philosophy. Plato, Descartes, Nietzsche, Derrida and the rest. Created by Napkin Note Productions, 8-Bit Philosophy attempts to “communicate even the most complex of philosophical concepts in a fun, easy-to-understand way.”
Launched in April, the series now features 15 episodes. The very first one used the 1986 Nintendo game Zelda to unpack Plato’s concept of the Real. Later episodes grappled with Hegel’s concept of history; Sartre’s notion of freedom (above); and Nietzsche’s thoughts on the limits of science (also above).
The most recent episode explores the philosophy of Jacques Derrida using scenes from the 1987 beat’ em up video game, Double Dragon. Does that game ring a bell? It didn’t for me either. Until I googled it and suddenly remembered wasting countless hours and quarters on it, almost three decades ago. It’s all coming back to me now.
You can watch all 15 episodes of 8-Bit Philosophy on YouTube. To play real vintage arcade games, see our post from last week: The Internet Arcade Lets You Play 900 Vintage Video Games in Your Web Browser (Free). And to get more immersed in philosophy, see our collection: 125 Free Online Philosophy Courses.
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With the quantum theory and sub atomic probabilites, we can definetely say the word “simulation” gives us a meaning of whole life. The language is insufficent to tell anything about the big picture. We’ve invented the simulation and it’s a closer meaning of life nowadays.