Editor’s Notes, Vol. 9 (2026)
The Philosophical Functions of Science Fiction
This past July, I received the incredible gift of being invited to the first South African Philosophy and Science Fiction Conference, at the University of Kwazu-Natal, Durban. This essay is a modified version of the talk I gave then, hoping it will be found useful by those who could not attend. The tone is not technical, but aims at inspiring and encouraging those experimenting with science fiction as a tool for research and teaching in philosophy.
In the talk, I examine how science fiction (and by extension, fantasy) can be used as a powerful philosophical tool, in the context both of developing original theses and introducing students and beginners to philosophical thinking. I discuss these possibilities at three levels: in what I call “highly academic” philosophical research, technical ethics, and at the level of “existential” questions about meaning and the good life.
Published: 2026 – 08 – 01
Issue: Vol 9 (2026)
Section: Editor’s Notes
Copyright (c) 2026 Alfredo Mac Laughlin
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Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy 
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