The website of John C. Snider
Francis Fukuyama was an optimist. In his 1992 book The End of History and the Last Man, he put forth the proposition (if you’ll forgive my oversimplification) that, with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, Western liberal democracy had finally gained a permanent foothold and there would, ultimately, be no returning to …
It’s hard to believe it’s been over twenty-two years since the Wachowskis (then brothers Larry and Andy; now sisters Lana and Lilly—long story) introduced the world to Neo (Keanu Reeves), a hapless hacker who discovers he and most of the rest of humanity are really living in the Matrix, a virtual reality created by Machines …
[This interview was conducted via email in May 2005 and published in a local (metro Atlanta) freethought newsletter. Sam Harris earned his PhD in cognitive neuroscience, has authored several bestselling books, and currently hosts the popular podcast Making Sense. –JCS 12/24/2021] Sam Harris is a Stanford-based philosopher, doctoral candidate in neuroscience, and author of The End …
[This interview was conducted via email in April 2005 and published in a local (metro Atlanta) freethought newsletter. Dr. Branden died in 2014. –JCS 12/24/2021] Nathaniel Branden is a psychotherapist and a pioneering expert in the psychology of self-esteem. He’s also one of the founders of Objectivism, the philosophy originated by the late novelist Ayn Rand …
[This interview was conducted via email in February 2005 and published in a local (metro Atlanta) freethought newsletter. Dr. Taylor died in 2019, but Philosophy Talk is still going strong with Dr. Perry and other co-hosts. –JCS 12/24/2021] Philosophers love to talk. And talk and talk and talk. Give a philosopher your ear and he’ll …
[This review originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in November 2003.] Everything that has a beginning has an end. Sort of. When Larry and Andy Wachowski introduced audiences to The Matrix back in 1999, it was the beginning not only of one of the most lucrative film franchises of all time, it was also the beginning of a fresh …
[This review originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in May 2003.] Reality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The Matrix is a vast computer simulation feeding the minds of humanity, whose bodies (housed in row upon row of nutrient-filled cocoons) provide energy for the Machines who have conquered their creators. As far as everyone “trapped” in …
The Dilemma of Shutting Down the Matrix [This essay originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in May 2003, just before the first sequel to The Matrix—The Matrix Reloaded—was released. Obviously, the franchise went in directions that completely negate my speculations, but I think they’re interesting enough to warrant revisiting. –JCS 12/27/2021] Millions of science fiction fans have May …
[Originally published in May 2000 at SciFiDimensions.com.] Ayn Rand’s magnum opus Atlas Shrugged turns 50 this month. Objectivists are celebrating, and CSPAN 2 recently devoted several hours of programming to discussions about the late Rand and her literary/philosophical influence. Nearly a quarter century after her death, Rand is still stirring up controversy, and despite her …