DefendingChrist.com Blog

It should come as no surprise that I am a fan of Lost. Any TV show that makes reference to Locke, Rousseau, C.S. Lewis, and the like is sure to spark my interest. Add to that a range of views on faith and reason, ethics, fate, and other issues that relate to science, philosophy and religion, and you’ve captured my attention.

There seems to be a lot of speculation about last season’s finale, and where this final season (which starts tomorrow) might go. I am intrigued at some of the subjects that will likely be covered.

Can the Past be Changed?

This topic seemed to be prevalent in the last season. For the majority of the season, it was accepted that the past cannot be changed even if time travel is possible (which it clearly is on the island). This seems to correspond to reality better than most movies and TV shows that depict time travel. For an explanation of why, see the video at right.

Jacob and his Nemesis
Apparently, a lot of blogs are referring to Jacob’s nemesis as Esau. While some have pointed out some parallels, there is a stark non-parallel in that Esau never killed Jacob. I am beginning to wonder if Jacob is a Christ character, and his nemesis is more of a Satan type character. This seems to fit better in that Satan couldn’t kill Jesus, but used someone else (the religious leaders) to make it happen. Jacob, like Christ, also seemed to go willingly. In any case, Lost fans have been driven to their Bibles, which I consider a good thing.

The Show in General
I’ve been wondering lately about the purpose of the show itself. What is it saying? I have a few ideas:

• A commentary on philosophy and the various philosophers – Maybe the show is saying, for instance, that Jeremy Bentham and John Locke are basically the same. I don’t know enough about either of their views or the other thinkers referenced in the show to reach a conclusion on this one.
• Ideas have consequences – Maybe the writers are pointing out where certain world views may lead in particular situations. In this case we may also get into sociology. How does this view interact with that one? What would happen if this person were to take a leadership role?
• A way to make money with a philosophy degree – This is probably more likely. Someone knew enough about philosophy that they were able to weave it into the plot of a TV show. As the show got more popular, it became important to consult people in the other sciences such as physics.

However things pan out in the final season, I look forward to watching it.

Filed under: Current Events, philosophy, Religion