Philosophy from Babylon 5
About 20 years ago, now, there was a 'sci-fi' television program unlike any that had preceded it. Or any since.
It was creating in the "story arc" fashion of European television, rather than the eternal fashion of American television at the time; designed to run approximately 5 years.
Babylon 5 was the 5th of a series of space stations built to serve as a "Casablanca" style U.N... built after the human species was nearly wiped out in a stupid and pointless war with an alien (and not-so-alien) species. The first three failed. The fourth disappeared. The fifth endured.
It became the focus of a repeating war between two incredibly powerful and ancient species of aliens known as the Vorlons and the Shadows. But, most of the episodes of the show didn't focus entirely on that conflict. In fact, some of the episodes had nothing to do with it. But they still advanced the storyline. An amazing work, Babylon 5.
Note the title is "Philosophy FROM" not "Philosophy OF". If Babylon 5 had a single philosophy, I'm not sure I could define it.
But, I wish to share some links to video clips from the tv series. My original purpose was to demonstrate theological systems not tied into the traditional views of brick-and-mortar religion we have so prevalent today.
However, I think now my goal is to introduce people here to some of the ideas dealt with in the tv show, in hopes that some here will seek out the full series on their own to enjoy. It's well worth re-watching, in my opinion, and I think some of the people in the gulch will find it... gratifying. Some of them I've linked before, to make various points. My goal here, my only point, is to evoke interest in the show.
Gkar (an alien, one of the principle characters) explains the Walkers of Sigma 957. What stuck with me is what he found comforting about them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLZW8Deq...
Here, G'kar lectures his theology students, attempting in vain to explain to them "What is truth; and what is God?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VvbNqU_...
Delenn (a Mimbari who transformed herself into a half-human) explains the nature of the universe, and thereby gives comfort to the station's distressed commander.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkhx3dGK...
Delenn, before her transformation, speaks to Commander Sinclair (before *his* transformation, but after he ended the war and saved the human species and the Mimbari soul... the show is deep).
She explains to him, metaphorically, the value of the individual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1mRkzTO...
Two blood enemies discuss the differences in their childhoods. Even here, in this little scene, is a philosophical message:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VH4Vrn-...
This bit I fundamentally disagree with, as I imagine many here will, but it's still profoundly philosophical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4KVcV_r...
Delenn explains a Mimbari religious philosophy similar, but different from G'Kar's speech above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihA4qZYW...
Part of what made the show so good, in my opinion, was the depth of the characters. Certainly the primary characters, but even peripheral characters had some kind of backstory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbrryrR5...
Babylon 5 wasn't all grim philosophy. It often had humorous scenes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j-76eLz...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ66wHRh...
Bad hair day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9UJOgC0...
Breakfast, the most important meal of the day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GOHqe0v...
I hope you enjoyed these clips and that they encourage you to acquire and enjoy the entire series.
It was creating in the "story arc" fashion of European television, rather than the eternal fashion of American television at the time; designed to run approximately 5 years.
Babylon 5 was the 5th of a series of space stations built to serve as a "Casablanca" style U.N... built after the human species was nearly wiped out in a stupid and pointless war with an alien (and not-so-alien) species. The first three failed. The fourth disappeared. The fifth endured.
It became the focus of a repeating war between two incredibly powerful and ancient species of aliens known as the Vorlons and the Shadows. But, most of the episodes of the show didn't focus entirely on that conflict. In fact, some of the episodes had nothing to do with it. But they still advanced the storyline. An amazing work, Babylon 5.
Note the title is "Philosophy FROM" not "Philosophy OF". If Babylon 5 had a single philosophy, I'm not sure I could define it.
But, I wish to share some links to video clips from the tv series. My original purpose was to demonstrate theological systems not tied into the traditional views of brick-and-mortar religion we have so prevalent today.
However, I think now my goal is to introduce people here to some of the ideas dealt with in the tv show, in hopes that some here will seek out the full series on their own to enjoy. It's well worth re-watching, in my opinion, and I think some of the people in the gulch will find it... gratifying. Some of them I've linked before, to make various points. My goal here, my only point, is to evoke interest in the show.
Gkar (an alien, one of the principle characters) explains the Walkers of Sigma 957. What stuck with me is what he found comforting about them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLZW8Deq...
Here, G'kar lectures his theology students, attempting in vain to explain to them "What is truth; and what is God?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VvbNqU_...
Delenn (a Mimbari who transformed herself into a half-human) explains the nature of the universe, and thereby gives comfort to the station's distressed commander.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkhx3dGK...
Delenn, before her transformation, speaks to Commander Sinclair (before *his* transformation, but after he ended the war and saved the human species and the Mimbari soul... the show is deep).
She explains to him, metaphorically, the value of the individual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1mRkzTO...
Two blood enemies discuss the differences in their childhoods. Even here, in this little scene, is a philosophical message:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VH4Vrn-...
This bit I fundamentally disagree with, as I imagine many here will, but it's still profoundly philosophical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4KVcV_r...
Delenn explains a Mimbari religious philosophy similar, but different from G'Kar's speech above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihA4qZYW...
Part of what made the show so good, in my opinion, was the depth of the characters. Certainly the primary characters, but even peripheral characters had some kind of backstory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbrryrR5...
Babylon 5 wasn't all grim philosophy. It often had humorous scenes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j-76eLz...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ66wHRh...
Bad hair day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9UJOgC0...
Breakfast, the most important meal of the day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GOHqe0v...
I hope you enjoyed these clips and that they encourage you to acquire and enjoy the entire series.
It does take some patience as it starts a bit slowly, but it must be watched from the beginning as there is a lot of fore-"shadowing" in the episodes.
There is also a bit of reliance on the benevolent dictator (Sheridan) but the character is more hero than dictator.
(I do wish that they had left out the Lincoln-myth propaganda though.)
J. Michael Straczynski's writing is near genius. Soundtrack is extremely well done and stirs the emotions.
However, since this post is about Babylon 5 philosophy, I will supply some things from Elric the Technomage:
"We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers. We study the mysteries
of laser and circuit, crystal and scanner, holographic demons and
invocations of equations. These are the tools we employ, and we know many things...."
Elric the Technomage, Babylon 5
"Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever,
seven words to make them go without pain, how to say goodbye
to a friend who is dying, how to be poor, how to be rich,
how to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them from
you."
-- Elric the Technomage, Babylon 5
http://www.reocities.com/ResearchTriangl...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJfbSPZ9...
Commander Sheridan is angry with Ambassador Kosh. He doesn't understand why Kosh becomes angry in return.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-54djL_...
But he learns why... tragically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSImwGBE...