Claire Vassallo 64591 (m)
PHI 3038
Film as Philosophy
Limitless What if you could know something about anything in just a number of seconds? Imagine a world where just by reading or listening to a particular language for just a few seconds, you would instantly become fluent in that language. What if you could finish a good assignment, paper or a work file in an hour? What if you could read some of the most complex texts in a number of minutes and understand them? Imagine a world where there is no limit to what you can know. Imagine that when anyone ever asks you something, you have an answer for it. Imagine having no difficulty to learn and understand things. What would you do with all this knowledge? Do you think your life would be easier and maybe even more exciting, or do you think that by knowing everything about anything without any effort in order to know it, you would be losing some value in life? Neil Burger’s recent film ‘Limitless’ makes its audiences ask such questions by envisioning their perfect selves. The film centres around Edward Morra, a normal human being struggling to make ends meet as a writer. However, this all changes once Morra is given a top secret drug which has the power to help him use 100% of his brain, unlike the usual 20%. Thus the pill helps Morra to become the perfect version of himself without any limitations, hence the title ‘limitless’. Throughout the film, Burger lightly portrays major philosophical themes, namely the power of memory, the continuous struggle of humans to become ‘superhumans’ and lastly the power of knowledge. The first evident theme which Burger takes on in the film is the theme of memory. We are all capable of remembering experiences and events which are not happening now, but rather which have happened in the past. We all have good memories which we cherish and maybe memories which we wish we could forget or never happened in the first place. We remember what happened yesterday, a week, month, and a year from today. We remember what we did in certain situations, what we said, saw, heard and read. But how much do we 1
Claire Vassallo 64591 (m) actually remember? Do we absorb everything around us and remember every single detail or just the important ones? These are the questions which Burger seems to be raising in the film in relation to memory. The first thing which the pill helps Morra to do in the film is to quickly recall things in the past in a number of seconds and down to the smallest detail. During his confrontation with his landlord’s wife for instance, Morra remembers an event which happened twelve years ago. This memory was triggered off just by him looking at the corner of a book which the landlord’s wife had in her bag. Morra was also able to remember the title and the author of the book. Moreover, the drug helped Morra to remember about ‘a half read article, some PBS documentary’1 which according to him was ‘Mixing itself together into a sparkling cocktail of useful information’2. But how is it that Morra could have such a memory and such useful information from such a small source? Morra himself is not even sure how he could remember such things and in fact he asks whether such memories which he did not record, were actually really ‘there the whole time’ and all he needed was ‘the access’3. Saint Augustine is one who discusses the concept of memory in book X of his ‘Confessions’. He argues that the memory is a great and powerful thing, one which helps people to store all the different things which they encounter in their daily lives. These memorable things enter ones memory by means of different values. The eyes are those which imprint different colours and shades unto our memories, whereas the ears are those which transmit different sound to our memories. Our nostrils help us to record different odours whilst our mouth records different tastes. Moreover, our body helps us to distinguish and record the difference between hot and cold, hard and soft, heavy and light and so on. All of this information is stored in the memory, waiting to be released or rather remembered at the right present time.
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Eddie Morra, cited in ‘Limitless Quotes: Clever but Flawed’ in Movie quotes and more [accessed 11 November 2011] 2
Ibid.,
3
Ibid.,
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Claire Vassallo 64591 (m) However, Augustine argues that these things enter our memories in three different ways. In certain cases, it is not the things themselves which enter our memory, but rather it is the images of these things which remain in our memory. In the case of physical things such as mountains, food, animals and so on, it is not the things themselves which enter our mind, but rather it is only their images. Sure we might remember what such physical things might have sounded, smelled or tasted like at the present moment, but we do not actually hear, smell or taste them. Our memory only gives us an idea of what such physical things might have smelled, sounded or tasted like. Such images can then be brought forth only by the act of remembering. However, the memory does not only contain things which have colour, smell, taste and feel, but it is also contains things which have reason and law. In such cases, what is transmitted is not an image of the thing but rather it is the thing itself which is recorded in the memory. In the case of mathematics, physics and other sciences for instance, all of which make use of numbers and dimensions, we cannot record any images but we can only record the things themselves, hence the numbers and dimensions themselves. Lastly, Augustine argues that memories can also be the result of our own impressions. In the case of emotions for instance, I am able to remember what it feels like to be sad, happy, angry, fearful and so on. In the end, Augustine believes that this ‘large and boundless chamber!’4 which we call memory, can help him to pass beyond the power of human nature and eventually reach God, the creator. But then Augustine questions himself. He asks that if he is indeed capable of transcending his own memory and reach God, then that would mean that he would not have any memory of God. And without any memory, how is it that he can find God in the first place? Therefore as we can see, Augustine does not believe that the memory is filled with all the different experiences that we encounter as the film seems to be suggesting, but rather our memory is filled with whatever we record in it, hence with whatever we are able to remember.
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Saint Augustine, cited in Augustine of Hippo, Confessions of Saint Augustine, Mobi Classics pp 1300.
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Claire Vassallo 64591 (m) The existentialist philosopher, Martin Heidegger, also addresses the topic of memory through his analysis of the historicity of existence. He refers to existence as Dasein, which literally means Being-there. Heidegger argues that Dasein is not a temporal being because it forms part of history, but rather, ‘it exists and can exist historically only because it is temporal in the ground of its being’5. In relation to this historicity, Heidegger believes that memory is not as we usually make it out to be, meaning, memory is not just a mere remembrance of past events, but rather memory is the retrieval of the different possibilities that form part of oneself, of Dasein. Such retrieval does not only help us to remember meaningful instances in the past, but they also help us to determine the present and also the future. Therefore, for Heidegger, these possibilities or rather memories are essential as in Richard Rorty’s words on Heidegger, they ‘created us’6. The drug, however, did not only help Morra to remember things, but as we said earlier, it also gave him the ability to further his knowledge. According to Aristotle, ‘All men by nature desire to know’7. This is precisely what Morra does once he takes the drug. In the film for instance, we see how Morra learned to play the piano in just three days. He also managed to learn and become extremely fluent in languages just by listening to some words in particular languages. Moreover, upon taking the pill, ‘enhanced Eddie’8 was able to do things in a much lesser time than he would have, had he not taken the pill, as is the case with his book. He managed to finish his book in just four days; the same book which Morra spent weeks struggling to even write a page. In Morra’s own words, what he could do now was ‘Limitless’9. Therefore, as we can see, Morra became somewhat ‘superhuman’.
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Martin Heidegger, cited in James Phillips, ‘Time and Memory in Freud and Heidegger: An Unlikely Congruence’ in Klinikum [accessed 11 November 2011] 6
Richard Rorty, cited in Janine Rider, The Writer’s Book of Memory an Interdisciplinary Study for Writing Teachers (New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc, 1995), p 62. 7
Aristotle, cited in Frederick Copleston, A History of Philosophy Greece and Rome, (London: British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data, 2003), p 287. 8
Eddie Morra, cited in ‘Limitless Quotes: Clever but Flawed’ in Movie quotes and more [accessed 11 November 2011] 9
Ibid.,
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Claire Vassallo 64591 (m) The German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche is usually the one associated with this concept of the Ubermensch or rather of the superhuman. He believes that over the years, Christianity had lost the influence and power which it once had on different societies. He expresses this idea in his famous phrase ‘God is dead’. In ‘The Twilight of the Gods’ Nietzsche refers to Christianity as a ‘great curse’10; one which has the power to influence people by spreading Christian values. As a result Nietzsche believes that Christianity creates a ‘slave morality’. He argues that the only way by which people could avoid this Christian influence was by replacing traditional Christian values with new ones. This is where the superhuman comes in. According to Nietzsche the superhuman is one who will create a ‘master morality’ rather than a ‘slave morality’. This is because unlike the rest of the other human beings, the superhuman will not be influenced by the values founded on Christian faith, but rather he would only be influenced by the values which he himself forms from his own experiences. Therefore, the superhuman is one who has acquired self-mastery. According to Nietzsche, society can improve its values by indeed following in the superhuman humans’ footsteps. Nietzsche believes that there has never actually been a superhuman. However, there are a few which he believes are close enough to be considered as superhumans; these being Socrates, Jesus, Leonardo Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Julius Caesar and Napoleon. Lastly, in the film we see how Morra’s superhuman abilities and knowledge eventually helped him to become more powerful. Knowledge helped Morra to increase his wealth as he first started making two-thousand dollars a day, than seventy-five hundred dollars and eventually two million dollars. Moreover, through knowledge and eventually money came popularity. At one point in the film, Morra clearly states that he was offered four different jobs, apart from the one which he eventually accepts, that is working for the famous and powerful business man Carl Van Loon. Towards the end of the film, we learn just how wealthy Morra had become as he spent nearly nine million dollars on a house and as he
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Friedrich Nietzsche, cited in Robin A. Brace, ‘The ‘God is Dead’ Man Died in a State of Complete Insanity – but Christianity Lives On!’ in UK Apologetics [accessed 12 November 2011]
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Claire Vassallo 64591 (m) clearly states that ‘There is nothing that forty million dollars can’t solve’ 11. The last phrase clearly shows the power one can have with money. Moreover, towards the end of the film, we see how Morra rises even further in the hierarchal ladder, as he becomes a potential candidate for the post of senate of New York, hence even more power. This idea of knowledge as power reminds us of the English philosopher Francis Bacon, who clearly stated that ‘Knowledge is power’12. The French philosopher, Michel Foucault was also one who discusses the notion of power. In his work, ‘Discipline and Punish’, Foucault develops his notion of ‘power-knowledge’ and argues that power is inextricably linked to knowledge. In the essay entitled ‘Prison Talk’, Foucault argues that ‘it is not possible for power to be exercised without knowledge, it is impossible for knowledge not to engender power’13. This is a rather important claim since it shows how by advancing in knowledge, one can also advance in power. Foucault further discusses the notion of power in his work, the ‘History of Sexuality’, under the title ‘The Will to Knowledge’. He believes that power is not only that which can be possessed by different individuals, but rather power is also a matter of what people do. Overall ‘Limitless’ is rather unrealistic since a drug like NZT can never really exist and since ‘Nobody can operate at that level of mental activity’14 meaning nobody can really use his/her full mental capacity. But despite being unrealistic, the film is still quite realistic. Apart from presenting its audience with various current philosophical themes, the film also makes its audience question what life would be like if a drug like NZT would exist. The film makes people question what they would do if they discover that they had the power to learn and do anything. Would they follow in Morra’s footsteps and use their power to
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Eddie Morra, cited in ‘Limitless Quotes: Clever but Flawed’ in Movie quotes and more [accessed 11 November 2011] 12
Francis Bacon, cited in Richard D. Brown, Knowledge Is Power: The Diffusion of Information in Early America, 1700-1865, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989), p 3. 13
Michel Foucault, cited in Sara Mills, Michel Foucault (London: Routledge, 2003), p 69.
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Melissa, cited in ‘Limitless Quotes: Clever but Flawed’ in Movie quotes and more [accessed 11 November 2011]
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Claire Vassallo 64591 (m) benefit themselves, or would they use their power to benefit others? The film seems to suggest that the majority of people with such power will more likely use it to benefit themselves. Moreover, the film makes people wonder whether life would be better if such a drug existed. Would it be better to learn anything without any or little effort? Would it be better to be able to finish things in a lesser time than usual? The film again seems to suggest that when we think about bettering our lives, we imagine a technically flawless version of ourselves, without any limits. But then again, would such a world be meaningful or would it be meaningless?
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Claire Vassallo 64591 (m)
Bibliography ‘Limitless Quotes: Clever but Flawed’ in Movie quotes and more [accessed 11 November 2011] ‘Nietzsche’s Superhuman’ in MSU [accessed 12 November 2011] Augustine of Hippo, Confessions of Saint Augustine, Mobi Classics pp 1-300. Carolinne White, The Confessions of St Augustine, (London: Frances Lincoln Limited, 2001), pp 78-80 Frederick Copleston, A History of Philosophy Greece and Rome, (London: British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data, 2003), p 287. James Phillips, ‘Time and Memory in Freud and Heidegger: An Unlikely Congruence’ in Klinikum [accessed 11 November 2011] Janine Rider, The Writer’s Book of Memory an Interdisciplinary Study for Writing Teachers (New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc, 1995), pp 60-62. Richard D. Brown, Knowledge Is Power: The Diffusion of Information in Early America, 17001865, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989), p 3. Robin A. Brace, ‘The ‘God is Dead’ Man Died in a State of Complete Insanity – but Christianity Lives On!’ in UK Apologetics [accessed 12 November 2011] Sara Mills, Michel Foucault (London: Routledge, 2003), p 69.
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