Philosophers

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The story of Lost is one set not only in a physical landscape, but a metaphysical one as well. The central characters often find themselves (and by extension, the audience) reconsidering and reevaluating their pasts as they confront the various challenges - external and internal, physical and intellectual, rational and emotional, personal and social - presented by life on the Island.

Cognizant of the power and allusive potential of naming, the show's creative team names certain characters after influential figures in the history of philosophy. Doing so, they encourage viewers not only to appreciate the show as a character-based drama, but also to acknowledge that the show deals with universal questions.

With a particularly heavy emphasis on eighteenth-century, or Enlightenment, currents of thought, invoking the names of these thinkers emphasizes and underscores the ongoing themes and central debates of the narrative. This page discusses these philosophers and their possible connections to Lost.

Links in this page to Wikipedia articles and external sites provide in-depth biographical information, basic outlines of philosophical tenets, and source texts for further reference and study.

Character name references

	Character	Philosopher
	Mikhail Bakunin	Bakunin, Mikhail (wikipedia)
	Edmund Burke	Burke, Edmund (wikipedia)
	Boone Carlyle	Carlyle, Thomas (wikipedia)
	Anthony Cooper	Cooper, Anthony (wikipedia, 1st Earl and wikipedia, 3rd Earl)
	Desmond David Hume	Hume, David (wikipedia)
	John Locke	Locke, John (wikipedia)
	Danielle Rousseau	Rousseau, Jean-Jacques (wikipedia)
	Sayid Jarrah	Said, Edward (wikipedia)

Further details are listed in the sections below.

Bakunin, Mikhail

Mikhail Bakunin (1814-1876) was a well-known Russian revolutionary and anarchist philosopher. He "rejected governing systems in every name and shape", every authority figure, including God, or a sovereign. Bakunin denied the concept of "free will" and advocated a materialist explanation of natural phenomena. [1]

Burke, Edmund

Edmund Burke (1729-1797) was an Irish statesman, Member of Parliament, and leader of the Old Whigs. He was an influential figure in the development of liberalism and is credited with founding the Anglo-American conservative movement. His major ideas included a defense of the American Revolution and of representative democracy, a critique of the French Revolution and radical social change based on untested theory, and an assertion of the universality of certain moral principles violated by British colonial officials in India.

His views on free will are somewhat given by the quote from Reflections on the Revolution in France: "It is better to cherish virtue and humanity by leaving much to free will, even with some loss to the object, than to attempt to make men mere machines and instruments of a political benevolence."

Carlyle, Thomas

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was a Scottish philosopher and writer who had influence on the development of socialism.

• Carlyle wrote a book called Heroes and Hero Worship, which discussed the fundamental flaws of heroes, and the challenges with which they must contend. This introduces an interesting paradox in Boone Carlyle's name, which pairs his moniker with that of Daniel Boone, famous archetypal American folk hero. On Lost, Boone is a character that strove in life to be recognized as a hero (earning him Shannon's nickname, "Captain America"), at times unsuccessfully; he also died attempting a heroic act.

• "Everywhere the human soul stands between a hemisphere of light and another of darkness; on the confines of the two everlasting empires, necessity and free will."

Cooper, Anthony

Anthony Ashley-Cooper (1621-1683) was an English politician who was the mentor and patron of real-life philosopher, John Locke (see below).

• In addition to sponsoring him in a somewhat paternal relationship, also credits philosopher Locke with saving his life from a medical condition (liver infection) (On Lost, Locke saves Anthony Cooper's life with a kidney transplant).

Anthony Ashley-Cooper (1671-1713), the 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury and grandson of the 1st Earl, also has a point of comparison with the character.

• This Shaftesbury was an eighteenth-century moral philosopher who posited that people are basically good, and that morality is a foundational (if not innate) part of humanity. This Shaftesbury's ethics are in direct contrast to those of Locke's father, who epitomizes Thomas Hobbes's (and Sawyer's) philosophy of self-interest.

Hume, David

David Hume (1711-1776) was a philosopher of skepticism and, perhaps to a lesser degree, naturalism as well.

• Like Desmond, David Hume was Scottish.
• David Hume was heavily influenced by philosopher John Locke (see below).
• From 1763 to 1765, Hume was Secretary to Lord Hertford in Paris, where he made friends with and, later, fell out with philosopher Rousseau (see below).
• Unlike Desmond, David Hume had strong views against miracles, which he considered as violations of the laws of nature, and consequently to be of a very low probability of occurring.
• Wrote about altruistic concern (illustrated by characters such as Jack and Desmond), and its opposition to powers of self-interest (illustrated by characters such as Sawyer).
• Wrote that free will, in a strange contradiction, actually requires determinism, though it apparently conflicts with it as well.

• His suggestion was that free will might be accounted for by "a false sensation or seeming experience" (a velleity) which is associated with many of our actions when we perform them. On reflection, we realize that they were necessary and determined all along.
• Hume is a "Soft Determinist" or a "Compatibilist" which means that he believes that ALL events are causally determined. However, we can still have moral responsibility (which would normally be impossible if the world is completely causally determined). Moral responsibility is the result of the will causing an event. However, the will for Hume is just as causally determined as anything else. If "Flashes Before Your Eyes" was inspired by Hume's philosophy on determinism and free-will, it is vastly distorted. It would be impossible to change the future... If Charlie was going to die in the lightning strike, then Desmond could not intercede, it was already pre-determined. The fact that Desmond could intercede in the event implies that he has the ability to change determined events. What is presented in the episode is closer to something called Fatalism, which David Hume does not argue for.

• In his posthumously published essay "On Suicide," Hume firmly advocates that it is neither against the laws of God nor nature for people to end their own lives. This argues that people have complete freedom over their own bodies and what they do to/with them. Using the failsafe in the Swan, Desmond apparently takes this right upon himself in a way that David Hume did not consider - self-sacrifice.
• Hume is also known for his discussion of The Problem of Induction. The name fits Desmond's role well, since he is compelled by inductive reasoning to continue to push the button. Discussion of Hume and the Problem of Induction

Locke, John

John Locke (1632-1704) was an Enlightenment philosopher who dealt with the relationship between nature and civilization, later to have great influence on founders of democratic governments. He believed that, in the state of nature, all men had equal rights to punish transgressors; to ensure fair judgment for all, governments were formed to better administer the laws.

• This philosophy is paralleled by the character of Locke, who embraces both nature and the need for egalitarian organization among the survivors.
• The episode title, "Tabula Rasa", is a reference to the Latin phrase meaning blank slate, and was a prominent philosophical theory championed by Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and philosopher John Locke. The concept is that the human mind is born into the world like "like a clean tablet on which nothing is written", and therefore that all human knowledge is derived solely from human experience.

• He also took the view that the truth of determinism was irrelevant. He believed that the defining feature of voluntary behavior was that individuals have the ability to postpone a decision long enough to reflect or deliberate upon the consequences of a choice: "...the will in truth, signifies nothing but a power, or ability, to prefer or choose".
• The character of Locke also emphasizes the concept of tabula rasa in the episode "...In Translation" when he says in a conversation with Shannon, "Everyone gets a new life on this island, Shannon. Maybe it's time you start yours."

• He was one of the developers of the social contract theory, which was postulated as an unspoken agreement between individuals and governmental bodies (to give up some of their natural freedoms in exchange for a life of order in their society and unnatural civil rights, as was the case when Jack took a leadership role on the island). Locke in particular believed in the right of rebellion in the case of tyranny, which Juliet suggests to Jack is her motive to betray Ben in her videotape.
• In 1693, Locke published a treatise entitled Some Thoughts Concerning Education, addressing the steps to be taken in raising boys. Specifically aimed at the sons of the gentry, Locke advocates against pampering and coddling children. They should be kept away from nursery stories, inured to hardships, instructed in useful pursuits, resulting in a functional and responsible member of society. These themes have obvious parallels in Season 1's parenting conflict between Locke and Michael over what Walt should and shouldn't do while on the island.
• The philosopher is also discussed in Bad Twin, wherein character Elio describes him as a "Fascinating guy. 17th century Brit, amazingly advanced. Huge influence on Thomas Jefferson. Locke argued that the highest goal of our intelligence is the careful and constant pursuit of true and solid happiness...he is saying that the best use of our reason is in learning to be happy."

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) was a Genevan philosopher who had great influence on political science and the socialistic movement.

• Later credited in The Conquest of Granada as promoting the idea of the "noble savage", which contended that Man, in a natural and wild state, is born innocent and pure until corrupted by society and civilization (though Rousseau did not directly come up with this idea).

• Society's negative influence on men centers, in Rousseau's philosophy, on its transformation of amour de soi, a positive self-love, into amour-propre, or pride. Amour de soi represents the instinctive human desire for self preservation, combined with the human power of reason. In contrast, amour-propre is artificial and forces man to compare himself to others, thus creating unwarranted fear and allowing men to take pleasure in the pain or weakness of others.
• The character Danielle Rousseau herself could be seen as a noble savage, having lived in the wilderness for many years, and now helping the survivors against the Others.

• Published posthumously in 1782, Rousseau's Reveries of a Solitary Walker is arranged into a series of "Walks" in which the major theme is striking out against and laying blame for his isolation and loneliness.

• Rousseau celebrates his drive to remain inquisitive about the natural world where he is residing as well as the vacillations of the social world from which he feels outcast.

• Rousseau had five children by Thérèse Levasseur, but abandoned them early in life, claiming that he would have been a poor father and that they would be better off in the orphanage.
• After facing great criticism in Switzerland, Rousseau took refuge with fellow philosopher David Hume in Great Britain. Later, however, he began to see hallucinations and become extremely paranoid, suspecting conspiracies involving "plots against him involving Hume and others" (qtd. Wikipedia).

Said, Edward

Edward Wadie Said (translit: Edward Wādi Sa‘id) (1935-2003) was a Palestinian-American literary theorist and outspoken Palestinian activist. He was Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, and is regarded as a founding figure in post-colonial theory.

• Said is best known for describing and critiquing "orientalism", which he perceived as a constellation of false assumptions underlying Western attitudes toward the East (Orientalism, 1978). "Orientalism" posits that Western culture uses what it perceives as the excesses, wantonness, and strangeness of Eastern cultures in order to define itself as against those traits.
• One of the theorists who helped to define the concept of "The Other." The Other is that which is foreign to "Us," that which we cannot comprehend, particularly with regard to foreign cultures, as well as those on the margins of society.
• In 1980 Said criticized what he regarded as poor understanding of the Arab culture in the West: "So far as the United States seems to be concerned, it is only a slight overstatement to say that Moslems and Arabs are essentially seen as either oil suppliers or potential terrorists. Very little of the detail, the human density, the passion of Arab-Moslem life has entered the awareness of even those people whose profession it is to report the Arab world. What we have instead is a series of crude, essentialized caricatures of the Islamic world presented in such a way as to make that world vulnerable to military aggression."

Other direct references

• From the Blast door map, Cogito ergo doleo, meaning "I think, therefore I suffer" is a play on René Descartes' (1596–1650), famous phrase, Cogito ergo sum, "I think, therefore I am". While Locke was an influential Empiricist, Descartes was an influential Rationalist, the opposing camp of the Empiricists. He also exercised some influence on the development of governmental schools of thought, and invented early forms of Calculus.
• In addition to Western philosophy, the story of Lost has many references to Eastern philosophies and ideologies, such as the DHARMA logos, "Namaste" and the number 108. These are more thoroughly covered in the page, Religion and ideologies.
• In Par Avion, Sawyer reads The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, a book based on Rand's philosophy of Objectivism.

Burrus Fred Skinner

While B. F. Skinner identified himself as a scientist and psychologist, he wrote what can be considered a work of philosophy in 1972 called Beyond Freedom and Dignity. Skinner is mentioned in the Swan orientation film as one of the inspirations for the ideas of the DHARMA Initiative.

Skinner held that there was no free will or freedom. Skinner's concept of human freedom was a situation where humans did not sense the controls being applied to them and their behavior.

Skinner's other major idea was that there was only one way to change (or improve) humans and that was to change the environment itself. An echo of this can be seen in the DHARMA Initiative's attempts to change the Valenzetti Equation.

See also

• Fate versus free will