CORRECTION AND THANKS: FIrst of all, thanks so much to Lady Lavender for helping me with the script for this video. Secondly, people are telling me that Motoko’s brain is actually real and not scanned. I see that that is the case for the SAC series, but for the movie, it doesn’t seem to be exactly said. Yeah, I know Batou says that there are human brain cells, but I wasn’t sure if that meant artificial cells that were scanned to work like human cells. Plus, I look at all the shots of her brain at the beginning, and it doesn’t look very human. Anyway, I’m not the expert, so I am probably wrong. Sorry about that. I hope you enjoyed the video nonetheless.
If I remember correctly, I think it was in Stand Alone Complex, there's an episode where Kusanagi has to get work done on her Cyberbody, either an update/upgrade to a newer model or maintenence on the current one. And I'm thinking to remember her ghost getting transfered in a new shell, i.e. an artificial brain with artificially grown braincells. Though, this should be taken with a grain of salt as I'm not remembering the details exactly. But it would be more in favor of artificially created braincells used to hold her ghost all along.
In the manga, they really can manufacture artificial skin by the scale of the molecular level. I think whether she is a real human or not barely matters except, of course, for her.
Max Derrat the blurring of this distinction may well be intentional, as it reinforces the point and theme, just as whether Deckard is human or replicant in Blade Runner is not meant to be definitively known.
Whatever Motoko's brain is, the Puppet Master is built exactly the same. They said it was built in the exact same place Motoko was. I think the only difference is that, whether Motoko's brain is real or not, is that it comes from someone who was a real human once and the Puppet Master was a computer program that attained consciousness.
One of the miraculous things about this movie is that it somehow never feels like the philosophical weight of it's concept is forced on the viewer. Too many movies try too hard to be deep. GitS has a feeling of effortlessness to it. I think a lot of that is probably due to the meditative quality of the musical score, the art direction, and probably the shot direction. The calmness of the body of the film helps punctuate the action scenes at the beginning and conclusion.
"we spent so much time trying to validate the existence of a soul we thought we had, we never wondered if we were born in this world to create one in the first place.."
@@oesiusdeus9157 But she has a mechanical brain? Were her memories and fucntions copied into the mechanical brain or is there a real brain hidden in that case?
@@ing4gi no, she has a human brain with an entirely cybernetic body, military grade everyfreakinthing. she is a prodigy because she was a young child when she lost her body and most dont survive. she also learns her new body when she upgrades very fast. the problem is that she has no idea how long its really been aside from her wrist watch, which is kind of like a rock to her past. watch ghost in the shell stand alone complex and 2n gig and you will learn a lot more about her, the other members of section 9 and the tachcomas which are kinda my fav aspect of the entire genre.
Not only is it shown that its an organic brain that was integrated in her body during its manufacturing. But it is was established that every attempt of copying the contents of human brains faild due to degeneration issues of the copied instance.
@@BRLN1 Maybe the lack of memories (or their removal of) from her brain served as a safety valve to prevent degeneration since there would be more brain cells to be utilized for whatever was needed to be created as a cyborg. If that's the case then consciousness could be transfered/copied but you'd have no idea if you is really you.
It's so prominent in the manga, even the term "ghost in the Shell", that cyborgs still have souls even though they may have few natural parts. It's what separates a cyborg from an AI. That is until Puppet Master develops an artificial ghost. It's been a while since I've seen the movie, but I didn't think they diverged on such a significant point.
Didn't watch the video, but after just watching the original animated movie, was that not established? I thought her dilemma was the origin of her ghost, not the existence of one?
Yes, it’s just supposed to be accepted that humans have souls. But it’s murky… the androids are supposed to make you feel how you feel late in the night when no one is around. You’re supposed to relate to them because that is you. A ghost in a shell. The main characters dilemma is supposed to be yours- That’s what makes it so brilliant (To me) And I believe it to be very true- the existence of a soul. The movie never ends- it goes on and on and on. Cheers 🍻 In a clever twist, The android is the vessel for ‘us dealing with the human being struggle of an afterlife and god and energetic resonance
Very well done. Apart from, of course, (as others have pointed out), Motoko's brain and spinal cord are her only original organic parts. They are not copied but are saved after a car accident she had as a child that killed her parents. There are also no "synthetic brains". Cyberbrains are shells added and affixed to naturally grown organic brains. That doesn't take away from the themes discussed in the video, but no doubt triggering to hardcore fans.
I know it's been a while since I read the manga and watched the movie, but if I remember correctly the major's brain isn't a copy. It's the only remain human body part she has left after getting into a horrible accident as a child. I could be wrong but it's what I recall. Beside that the video was really interesting.
Hi Suzanne, I don´t know if you gonna read this, but well Ghost in the Shell 1995 is an adaptation from the original GITS created by Masamune Shirow. Therefore Shirow´s timeline is canon and Motoko´s brain is basically a part of her original body, but in Oshii´s adaptation is a scan of the original brain therefore in his timeline Motoko is a replica of a person. Yo actually can see the real Motoko (If they both share the same name) when the major is traveling in the ship. GITS 1995 has become in its own merits a canon; most people see GITS SAC, or GITS ARISE because of Oshii´s timeline. I want to tell you that I have read GITS and it is not like GITS 1995 is a weird collage of stories set with a different tone every single one of them. If you read them superficially they are even dumb, it is when you try to read deeper that you realize that are beautiful. I am a big fan of the GITS so my apollogies for the lenght in the answer. Thanks if you read.
@@rjhs01999 Hi Roberto. Yes, I did read what you wrote. And you are correct in what you said. I also read and own the original GITS manga by Shirow. They are like you said lose story. I somehow forgot that the movie only losely based on one of the manga stories and the movie don't share the same canon time-line of the manga. So thank you for reminding me. I really need to read the manga again. It was a great series!!
When i watched Ghost in the Shell, I was 16 years old, and i believe it was the first movie ever that i didn't understand, I might rewatch to see what happens lol
This movie is hard to understand as young person and one of main problem story was not completely developed in movie. I felt like I was watching from the middle at least for me, in the end what was the point of story it felt like part 1 for me . That's why it makes even more harder to understand
I started waching during lockdown I was 16 too lol, didn't understand it but now im 20, after rewatching the movie and the sequel, I think its an anime that shouldnt be forgotten, a masterpiece till this day, the director oshii is genius and a good storyteller, also watch his other work BLOOD: The Last Vampire if you haven't, it's cool..
@@MachuupiChew man, Blood: The Last Vampire is such a good movie. It's a shame that the story is basically incomplete for western audiences since the PS2 games that complete the whole story didn't have an official release (not even fan-translations)
Your channel is exactly what I`ve been looking for!! Recently I have been studying Jung, Elliade, Peterson etc and though how interesting it would be to analyse anime, video games and movies in this perspective, and here you are, making brilliant videos full of fresh, philosophical and psychological perspectives. Thank you so much.
The major still has a human brain or at least components of it. In the elevator conversation with Batou he mentions that she has human brain cells and the Major says she is not completely synthetic.
@@HearMeLearn In manga and every anime she explicitly has an organic brain except Arise where it was mentioned as a cyberbrain which could mean an entirely artificial or just an interface.
This is exactly what my dad was trying to explain to me once, I don't think he himself knew exactly what he was talking about but he was asking me if all my ideas I would share with him ,were they actually mine, he asked me are your ideas you own or did you hear them somewhere, and he asked if I ever had an original idea, and how would I even know, but I was much to young to really understand what he was saying let alone keep our conversation going
Well, I've once heard that no idea is truly original, because everything is based (however small that base is) on something else, and that creativity just builds upon that reference
There is creativity to be found, The synthesis of a new idea by the fusion of old ones, This creates a difference, Gradual, building up distortions and eventually- becoming Original
I was going to give my own argument but as it went on ultimately I fully agreed with your explanation of Maxim's idea. I find the fact that a person has the cognitive ability to think and learn from their experiences in life is enough to justify them as human, as a person. Outside forces and events may very well influence your thinking 'structure' or immediate instinct but ultimately you as a person do have the ability to reject these ideas and seek alternatives, and the specific reasons for doing so are infinite, quite literally. If you reject the current standing norm of what is considered 'human', you as a person have the cognitive ability to not only stand against this norm, but to either A: seek an alternative or B: create one yourself, like Maxim did. Appearances may be deceiving, but I do think Matoko is close enough to typical human function to be considered an independent being all her own, hence why Bato considers her worry needless. The voice she and Bato heard is easy enough to interpret as 'intuition', also referred to as a 'gut feeling'. I feel this is further supported by the fact that Bato is talking to her as if she is her own person. We've used 'the soul' as a way of helping to explain our evolution. We've grown enough as a species to question ourselves and become fully self aware and the fact that Matoko is asking herself these very same questions shows that she's not so different. It's the experiences that she is going through in the lifespan she's been given that is develops her as a person. It's no different from a teen growing to hate authority figures due to negative experiences with law enforcement in the past. That teen will think and make decisions in such a way that it goes against the authority's wishes and their actions reflect this.
Man. I wanna forget I watched GitS to watch it like it's the first time again, forget and watch like the first time again. This is one of the most culturally significant visionary and beautifully poetic piece of culture that influenced my entire life and I love it dearly. It dared to pack a profound philosophical message into a high octane jaw breaking action flick and it's just... I'm happy to live in this timeline during the time when it already exists and still fondly remembered by many is what I'm trying to say.
A solid take on the staple. Good job. Idk, if you knew, but we shape our memories to our inner narrative. You can implant and alter memories of others, merely by suggestion, to the point of completely reversing them. Research on human memories shows a funky picture of not really a solid record similar to hard drive, but one more like a story telling. Also, to the point of who's thinking who, research shows that we can know what your thoughts are seconds before you do. So it seems that thoughts are really an input of our consciousness, not an output.
Awesome analysis, had like three before yours after I rewatched 1995 and 2017 👌 1. Story 8/10 2. Aesthetics 9/10 3. Impact/Impression 8/10 = 25/30 for me, def one of the A-Category Anime Movies Next to Akira & Mononoke ✌️
It's not my favorite anime movie, but it is the most awe inspiring movie I have ever watched. I was just amazed at how deep the story was and I found it very interesting.
My understanding of it is that there are two ways to make a cyberbrain One is from a living human and the other is from scratch. In the case where you're making it from a living human I'm pretty sure they use nano machines to convert the nerve cells in the brain into neural circuitry which is why a brain with neural circuitry is called a cyberbrain
@@TheCrumplezone I watched the movie and, I really liked it. But, in the end, did motoko merge? And what was the point of it, to have offspring, like other living things? To pass on your genes?
Great video Max, my dude. And good on you to honorably cite and plug other people’s quotes, content and such. You must have been a great essay writer in high school lol. Keep up the good work pal.
I like the fact that you pointed out towards the end of the video the duality nature of what we perceive as reality not only in the movie but also in the universe itself, and connected that with the duality we see in religion, the good and evil, a perfect balance. It's also one of the fundamental principles in science and cornerstone of modern physics, the Conservation of Energy principle!
Max, I’ve been meaning to write you an in-depth comment about what your videos have meant to me over the past few months. I’m a writer who’s been in a rough spot for a long time recently in my private life, and it’s been difficult finding motivation. Your videos have been a bright spot in that. Your chosen topics, from Jungian philosophy to the dilemmas of the (over)Information Age, are all things I’m interested in, and as a creative, it’s wonderful to see all these interconnected topics dissected through a narrative lens. Particularly, working on a horror novel right now with a Jungian bent, this channel feels custom made. Even when I suspect I may disagree with you I greatly respect your thorough and objective analysis, free from emotional bias. This video finally got me to comment because I have to ask if you’ve ever heard of the technology singularity? I’m sure you have by now, but specifically if you’ve read anything by Ray Kurzweil such as Age of Spiritual Machines or The Singularity is Near? So many of the topics you touch on are explored. It should be a wealth of insight for you.
I've recently rewatched the first movie and I haven't seen any sequels yet so maybe it all gets answered later on but here's my impression. Motoko and the Puppet master are two sides of the same paradox coin. Motoko has a physical origin as a full fledged human (or so we're told) but replaces so many parts of her physical body that she doesn't even know if she's defined as human anymore. The Puppet master is the opposite, a program with no physical copy that started getting an emergence of consciousness and now tries hard to define himself as human. The paradox is "what it means to be human" so I don't think that Nietzsche detour really helps us here (not that it's completely irrelevant). The movie gives two very definite conditions: Death and Procreation. The paradox comes from the fact that even in the face of our own mortality people will still get together to give birth to a third individual entity destined to die as are they. Logically it doesn't make sense or has a "purpose". The Puppet master wishes to overcome his nature and be a true living being by conducting these processes, like a checklist, and has singled out Motoko because he became aware of her existential pondering. A body looking itself in the mirror. The boat scene could be Motoko or the puppet master speaking but I think you read too much into it on your take, Max. That's my two cents and I know I'm late, take care 😅
Also I'll add this here so it doesn't clog the original comment but it's worth mentioning that the movie also dabbles in other philosophical questions, such as : what role do memories play in who you are as an individual. This aligns better with Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil", it's just not the forefront of the message in the movie, it doesn't really get "resolved" or tackled 🤔
Just finished watching The complete stand-alone complex ( Gigs 1 & 2 ) this video has certainly provided some food for thought, all I can say is the ghost in the shell from what I've watched this far, including the first film many years ago, is that's it touches upon so many themes elements, even things that touch upon things we take for granted in modern day life, if anything the stand-alone complex series felt quite ahead of its time, what I will say is though is that the first gig feels far closer to the first film in terms of it themes, alas I'm a simple man, so I probably need to rewatch the series again & film for better analysis, there's an awful lot to take in & digests on a first outing, hopefully my comment will make some sense, I found a particular episode to be very relevant during the first gig, where weapons developer in plants his mind into a robot tank, I can't remember the name or number of the episode, but that was probably one of my favourites, due to how to handled the subject matter, again again it's pretty complicated and I'm not the best person to explain it. If you've got this far, thank you for reading 🙂
This whole anime and its concepts strike that of Philip K. Dick and his works. He questioned reality all the way up until his death just before Blade Runner was released and it was based on his book "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". I love this anime and have since I saw it back in 1998 when I first bought the VHS tape while stationed at Hill AFB, UT. I remember first seeing the poster for it while in tech school at Shepard AFB, TX in Wichita Falls, TX in 1997 and wondered what it was then found out. Great video I liked it a lot.
I subbed before you delved into silent hill. When you just started differently wired, & right around when you released the metal gear profound bit. Just saying. I like you good sir. I enjoy how you dissect things. Your mind is interesting, just thought I'd share that.😎 keep it up my man. You're a good person.
Depending which cannon you look at Motoko Kusanagi’s brain is a human brain. In SAC she was a small girl involved in an aircraft accident and she was so badly injured her brain was placed into a cyborg body, apparently the first such case. Kuze being the 2nd person placed into a cyborg body. IN the latter prequel Kusanagi was supposed to have been an unborn baby, whose parents were involved in an accident and in order to save the baby, the brain was transplanted into a cyborg. In that case she was the first unborn brain placed into a cyborg. While not clear the 2nd scenario may be the one used in the original movie.
Thing about the ocean is that life went from prokaryotic to eukaryotic, that's the mystery that I hope gets solved in my life time. You got me into some deep thinking, this was an excellent video as always dude.
I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but I was always under the impression that Motoko is not entirely a robot. Specifically, her brain is literally the only original part, or her consciousness was transfered from her original brain to her current shell, hence her identity crisis, since nothing in her current body is organic, she begins to questions what it is to be "alive" and to be "human". I'm explaining this because, from what's said at the beginning of the video is that she's entirely fabricated, which I believe wouldn't make much sense with the whole merging thing near the end of the film (pointlessly vague to avoid spoilers for a 24 year old movie).
Sorry if I didn't make it clear. A real human brain was scanned by a computer. The data that computer took from that scan was then implanted into a cyberbrain.
@@maxderratno? Cyberbrain isn't a scan of the brain. Don't base ūt on just one scene, where nothing is explained. Cyberbrains contain the original biological brain inside.
Very interesting take. I love stories like this. Deus Ex is a prequel to this kind of story IMO. the beginning of mixing humanity and the digital world.
I hope people don't get unbelievably frustrated at this, especially since I am a die hard fan of all Sci fi media, I didn't know at all what the main plot was in this until I got to the very end. I had no idea what was happening, or what a ghost was
I think therefore I am makes more sense when you understand that the Majors brain is the only thing she has left of her original body. Which makes the whole Puppet Master arc more prominent due to the PM being able to access the Majors only safe haven. Her brain. Which then forces the Major to ask those questions on what's real and what's not.
Loving all the transhumanism stuff! Been waiting for this one for a while. Also, since it's so early: Dude, you are one of my favorite RUclipsrs. You opened me up to accepting myself when I found out I was on the spectrum, and have taught me some of the most practical and easily understood ways to decode my own behavior, and then explain it to others in a way that sounds less like a DSM-V excerpt and more candid explanation. Your example has made me feel much more confident that my interests, skills and values are something that the world will value and that I'll survive in the long run in a society where I might be the outlier. Plus, you are a huge nerd about literally all of the stuff I like, AND you are amazing at analyzing literary/narrative theory, symbolism, and psychological theory. Your humility, humor and shrewd language makes me feel like I'm in a college class any time I watch your videos. The level of research you go into and the perspectives you offer are fresh and so in depth because you draw parallels more people never would have explored so carefully. Thank you so much for everything you've done!
Thank you so much for your wonderful words. You have validated all of the things I set out to do with these videos. I especially needed it today. Had one of the worst days I've had in a long time.
Oh snap! Only now did it come to me that the Puppet Master's explanation of why he(?) sought Motoko-to produce something of diverse origin rather than a mere copy-sort of parallels her explanation of why a "natural" from the police department is in a team composed of cyborgs and ex-military personnel. "Overspecialize, and you breed[sic] in weakness". Never mind that, in seeing that the "new being" is safe and sound, Batou plays the part of "cop helping with a birth".
would be cool if you played any of the Shin Megami Tensei series or could be either one of the Persona Saga, but i would like more to see your input at least on Shin megami tensei Nocturne AKA Lucifer's Call. Also yes, SMT Nocturne is the game of the "Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series" meme
7:38 this is simple to pick apart. Obviously the person had the idea. The person can exist without the idea. The idea cannot exist without the person. One is dependent on the other..
What is the background music that is heard for the most part of the middle of the video? It's probably from the soundtrack but I can't really figure it out. From 9:00 onwards for a while.
when you mentioned the angel appearance I was confused because I recently had just watched the movie in theaters and didn't see that part. I checked on amazon video and for some reason the newer versions of this movie had removed the angel entirely, it just showed the feathers falling down
That's why you should use GNU/Linux and the terminal, cause for now there is nothing closer to a merger between man and machine than the terminal. Great video :)
I was always thinking that GITS style "cyberbrains" were human brains, still very much alive, put into mechanical casings with life-support units. This is seen several times throughout the series and movies, where cyberbrains come with small pumps and whatnot that seem to circulate blood and oxygen.
5:49 Nah bro i don’t think so. That voice they heard was the voice of the AI speaking to her. It has been watching her all along. At the end of the film they finally meet and.. merge. Also that thing u said in the beginning about her brain, yes its augmented like many other people(even togusa) but its still the only part of her original human body. Everything else is totally cyborg.
i mean, i have so many films, animes, and series to watch for the first time but im about to watch for the 10th time this film... so i came here to watch this video i had saved for a long time
The merging of man and machine has already begun, as far as I'm concerned, though you may not realize it. My eyes are weak, and my vision is blurry - yet I have corrective glasses that I wear at almost all times, to the point where they're effectively part of my identity. I don't recognize myself in photos where I'm not wearing them.
The original matrix book touches on a quite a few issues prevalent in GITS before ghost in the shell was even present in the community yet the matrix movie which was directed by two different people take large inspiration from ghost in the shell. Pretty amazing how it all goes full circle
I love ghost in the shell my son had me watch it with him it's one of the only anime series i like im not into most of the anime cartoons that ben watches but i do like cowboy bebop and ghosts in the shell and death Note just to name a few
That was very insightful. GitS 1995 is one of my favorite movies ever. And despite having been dissected by many people in the past, you managed to offer some new perspectives on it. Thanks Max. I rewatch this masterpiece at least once or twice a year and it still fascinates me just as much as it did more than 10 years ago when seeing it for the first time.
I'm 3 years too late, but I'm pretty sure there was no question about humans and cyborgs having souls or ghosts in any of the manga, movies or series. I can understand you exploring that concept, but they were pretty clear in the lore that only cyber brains can actually transfer ghosts and survive. A living brain ghost transfer was the first and only one they could ever do, the brain dies right then and there cause the ghost left it and the understanding is not because the transfer damages it, but because it doesnt survive without an ghost or soul. The ghost from ghost in the shell refers to the existential crisis of the AI, not Makoto's. The AI is trying to prove their ghost is just as valid and the only way Makoto could do it was by sharing her own soul with it.
@@FWS_Sinister Yup. I don't remember if they said it in the movie, but in the manga when he is trapped, they were surprised the ghost of the AI was human-like. The Tachikoma (spider tanks) have AI ghosts too, but I think the big one in the movie was just being controlled by the puppet master. He also believed that just making copies of himself would not solve his existential issue, the best way was to reproduce like a human for his own survival and existence. This why he wanted to merge with Makoto.
@@FWS_Sinister Not exactly, he was already conscious and self-aware and all that. But, he couldn't be more than what he is. Just like no human can be more than what they are. Another thing this video got somewhat wrong was the tree of life symbology. The only way life can be more than what it is, is through breeding and generations. A copy of himself wouldn't be evolution, so he gave his own existence away to have a ghost child with Makoto that wouldn't be him, but the resulting being have a chance of being greater than both of them. Pretty much gave his life away to have a child that would possibly have a better future than he would have locked up and manipulating people for other people.
@@soulwynd so when they merge makoto would gain his infinite knowledge and he would gain the ability to reproduce so he has a better chance of survival?
Self-awareness is a product of a complex nervous system, thinking is an emergent property. If you are self-aware, what you can think about depends on the data you’ve acquired (experience/memories, language). Thinking stops when the nervous system dies. There is no need for a ‘soul’, no other animal has a soul, and humanity is part of the same evolutionary tree. Religion, post-death survival is a tale best left in the childhood of the race, time to grow up.
Absolutely yes, afterlife myths are just wishful thinking based in a fear of death. Whereas literally everything about biology contradicts the idea and in fact proves it impossible.
Is there a source for the claim that the Major's brain is synthetic? Was the story changed in the dub? I always thought she's human with a full body prosthesis. Also, at least in the comics, Motoko's body is visibly artificial. In one scene, she's mistaken for a robot. The monologue on the boat was supposed to have been caused by the puppet master. Not every tank is a Fuchikoma or Tachikoma. In the comic, the tank is a German brand.
A sperm merges with an egg. From the information encoded in the DNA, a full human being is gradually built, which at some point becomes conscious. So whatever consciousness is, it emerges from the building instructions encoded in the DNA.
Descartes arrived at his famous tautology while in the throes of a even more terrifying question, namely “what is real?” His answer was “I” - personhood, identity. This analytical responds stands in stark contrast to som eastern traditions, where self is an illusion. My intuition is that neither is wholly correct, if there is a single correct view.
Merging with the Ghost was not Matoko's choice, it was his/their choice. If there was no choice, was it a solution at all? Was it not just the same 'idea having you' thing? Looking at our lives, there seems to be just one path people are forced to chose or perish and any other societies seemed to be actively sought and destroyed. Is merging with technology a humanity's choice at all or is it driven by someone or something else?
Great, now i only have more questions. At least the movie is free on RUclips so i can rewatch it until I really don’t understand anymore, thanks for the video
I would just like to point out that DeCartes' famous statement, "I think therefore I am," is actually a logical fallacy called circular reasoning: DeCartes is assuming what he's trying to prove. The argument seeks to prove Decartes' existence: "therefore I am," but that phrase is preceded by the statement, "I think," in which Decartes is presupposing his own existence with the pronoun "I." By saying "I think," Decartes is assuming he exists in the first place when he is trying to prove his own existence... if that makes sense. Most people actually miss this, and I'm not sure what effect this realization would have on this movie... it might actually refute the whole movie and demonstrate it had a faulty starting premise...
Don't know if this matters, but listening to the Japanese version with subtitles, you can hear how the Japanese pronounce her name. They don't accent individual syllables in words or names the way we do. So, for example, if we in America say "mo TO ko," they say "Mo To Ko." If we say "ku sa NA gi," they say "Ku Sa Na Gi." Or if we say, "Ba to," they say "Ba To." I only mention it because I've watched a bunch of these Ghost in the Shell analyses now, and it doesn't seem like any of our commentators are aware of how the Japanese names are spoken by the Japanese. As a matter of fact, in the Japanes version, her last name is spoken first: "Ku Sa Na Gi Mo To Ko." If you try saying it a few times til it comes naturally, if creates a very different feel.
I’ve always taken the think therefore I am argument to point toward the watcher (awareness itself) as proof of the soul. The thought cannot exist in a vacuum, there must always be a ghost that witnesses.
I think this is the answer we seek. "When the neurosurgeon applies an electrode to the motor area of the patient's cerebral cortex causing the opposite hand to move, and when he asks the patient why he moved the hand, the response is: 'I didn't do it. You made me do it'. . . It may be said that the patient thinks of himself as having an existence separate from his body. Once when I warned a patient of my intention to stimulate the motor area of the cortex, and challenged him to keep his hand from moving when the electrode was applied, he seized it with the other hand and struggled to hold it still. Thus one hand, under the control of the right hemisphere driven by an electrode, and the other hand, which he controlled through the left hemisphere, were caused to struggle against each other. Behind the "brain action" of one hemisphere was the patient's mind. Behind the action of the other hemisphere was the electrode. Penfeld concluded his memorable paper: There are, as you see, many demonstrable mechanisms (in the brain). They work for the purposes of the mind automatically when called upon. . . . But what agency is it that calls upon these mechanisms, choosing one rather than another? Is it another mechanism or is there in the mind something of different essence? To declare that these two are one does not make them so. But it does block the progress of research." "The Ghost In The Machine" by Arthur Koestler pgs 203-204
Yes, it’s just supposed to be accepted that humans have souls. But it’s murky… the androids are supposed to make you feel how you feel late in the night when no one is around. You’re supposed to relate to them because that is you. A ghost in a shell. The main characters dilemma is supposed to be yours- That’s what makes it so brilliant (To me) And I believe it to be very true- the existence of a soul. The movie never ends- it goes on and on and on. And it’s ok if there isn’t. But I imagine there is. Cheers 🍻 In a clever twist, The android is the vessel for ‘us dealing with the human being struggle of an afterlife and god and energetic resonance
CORRECTION AND THANKS:
FIrst of all, thanks so much to Lady Lavender for helping me with the script for this video.
Secondly, people are telling me that Motoko’s brain is actually real and not scanned. I see that that is the case for the SAC series, but for the movie, it doesn’t seem to be exactly said. Yeah, I know Batou says that there are human brain cells, but I wasn’t sure if that meant artificial cells that were scanned to work like human cells. Plus, I look at all the shots of her brain at the beginning, and it doesn’t look very human.
Anyway, I’m not the expert, so I am probably wrong. Sorry about that. I hope you enjoyed the video nonetheless.
If I remember correctly, I think it was in Stand Alone Complex, there's an episode where Kusanagi has to get work done on her Cyberbody, either an update/upgrade to a newer model or maintenence on the current one. And I'm thinking to remember her ghost getting transfered in a new shell, i.e. an artificial brain with artificially grown braincells.
Though, this should be taken with a grain of salt as I'm not remembering the details exactly. But it would be more in favor of artificially created braincells used to hold her ghost all along.
In the manga, they really can manufacture artificial skin by the scale of the molecular level. I think whether she is a real human or not barely matters except, of course, for her.
please like, share and subscribe scene where did you get it?
Max Derrat the blurring of this distinction may well be intentional, as it reinforces the point and theme, just as whether Deckard is human or replicant in Blade Runner is not meant to be definitively known.
Whatever Motoko's brain is, the Puppet Master is built exactly the same. They said it was built in the exact same place Motoko was. I think the only difference is that, whether Motoko's brain is real or not, is that it comes from someone who was a real human once and the Puppet Master was a computer program that attained consciousness.
One of the miraculous things about this movie is that it somehow never feels like the philosophical weight of it's concept is forced on the viewer. Too many movies try too hard to be deep. GitS has a feeling of effortlessness to it. I think a lot of that is probably due to the meditative quality of the musical score, the art direction, and probably the shot direction. The calmness of the body of the film helps punctuate the action scenes at the beginning and conclusion.
"we spent so much time trying to validate the existence of a soul we thought we had, we never wondered if we were born in this world to create one in the first place.."
Whose quote is this?
@@Dr.Unplugged Couldn’t trace it word for word to anyone, but it sound like a rewording of the quote from Jurassic Park
I was always under the impression that Mikoto was a human brain in an cyborg body, a cyborg body that was a common model used.
Because it's a fact.
Maybe a common aesthetic/design, but i'm pretty sure her model is military grade for obvious reasons
Ya her brain is natural. She was once a person but lost her body at a very very young age.
@@oesiusdeus9157 But she has a mechanical brain? Were her memories and fucntions copied into the mechanical brain or is there a real brain hidden in that case?
@@ing4gi no, she has a human brain with an entirely cybernetic body, military grade everyfreakinthing. she is a prodigy because she was a young child when she lost her body and most dont survive. she also learns her new body when she upgrades very fast. the problem is that she has no idea how long its really been aside from her wrist watch, which is kind of like a rock to her past. watch ghost in the shell stand alone complex and 2n gig and you will learn a lot more about her, the other members of section 9 and the tachcomas which are kinda my fav aspect of the entire genre.
The only thing she has from her original body is her brain
Yea i remember Batou saying that she has original brain under her cybernetic body when Major was worried about whetever she has ghost or not.
Not only is it shown that its an organic brain that was integrated in her body during its manufacturing. But it is was established that every attempt of copying the contents of human brains faild due to degeneration issues of the copied instance.
Please refer to the pinned comment. Thank you for your input. :)
@@BRLN1 Maybe the lack of memories (or their removal of) from her brain served as a safety valve to prevent degeneration since there would be more brain cells to be utilized for whatever was needed to be created as a cyborg. If that's the case then consciousness could be transfered/copied but you'd have no idea if you is really you.
No her brain is mostly synthetic as well.
The only thing origin is her ghost (basically her Soul)
It's so prominent in the manga, even the term "ghost in the Shell", that cyborgs still have souls even though they may have few natural parts. It's what separates a cyborg from an AI. That is until Puppet Master develops an artificial ghost. It's been a while since I've seen the movie, but I didn't think they diverged on such a significant point.
Agreed. Having a ghost wasn't a debate
Didn't watch the video, but after just watching the original animated movie, was that not established? I thought her dilemma was the origin of her ghost, not the existence of one?
@douglasphillips5870 You've reminded me that a plot point of Kenji Kamiyama's TV series-AI develops an artificial ghost-tips a hat to the first film.
Yes, it’s just supposed to be accepted that humans have souls.
But it’s murky… the androids are supposed to make you feel how you feel late in the night when no one is around.
You’re supposed to relate to them because that is you.
A ghost in a shell.
The main characters dilemma is supposed to be yours-
That’s what makes it so brilliant (To me)
And I believe it to be very true- the existence of a soul.
The movie never ends- it goes on and on and on.
Cheers 🍻
In a clever twist, The android is the vessel for ‘us dealing with the human being struggle of an afterlife and god and energetic resonance
Very well done. Apart from, of course, (as others have pointed out), Motoko's brain and spinal cord are her only original organic parts. They are not copied but are saved after a car accident she had as a child that killed her parents. There are also no "synthetic brains". Cyberbrains are shells added and affixed to naturally grown organic brains.
That doesn't take away from the themes discussed in the video, but no doubt triggering to hardcore fans.
I know it's been a while since I read the manga and watched the movie, but if I remember correctly the major's brain isn't a copy. It's the only remain human body part she has left after getting into a horrible accident as a child. I could be wrong but it's what I recall. Beside that the video was really interesting.
No, you are correct their brain and central nervous system is still organic.
@@Larsnir thank you. I wasn't sure if I remembered correctly.
That's what I thought as well. It's been a couple years since the last time I watched it but I could've sworn her brain was organic.
Hi Suzanne, I don´t know if you gonna read this, but well Ghost in the Shell 1995 is an adaptation from the original GITS created by Masamune Shirow. Therefore Shirow´s timeline is canon and Motoko´s brain is basically a part of her original body, but in Oshii´s adaptation is a scan of the original brain therefore in his timeline Motoko is a replica of a person. Yo actually can see the real Motoko (If they both share the same name) when the major is traveling in the ship. GITS 1995 has become in its own merits a canon; most people see GITS SAC, or GITS ARISE because of Oshii´s timeline. I want to tell you that I have read GITS and it is not like GITS 1995 is a weird collage of stories set with a different tone every single one of them. If you read them superficially they are even dumb, it is when you try to read deeper that you realize that are beautiful. I am a big fan of the GITS so my apollogies for the lenght in the answer. Thanks if you read.
@@rjhs01999 Hi Roberto. Yes, I did read what you wrote. And you are correct in what you said. I also read and own the original GITS manga by Shirow. They are like you said lose story. I somehow forgot that the movie only losely based on one of the manga stories and the movie don't share the same canon time-line of the manga. So thank you for reminding me. I really need to read the manga again. It was a great series!!
When i watched Ghost in the Shell, I was 16 years old, and i believe it was the first movie ever that i didn't understand, I might rewatch to see what happens lol
I was 14 😅 Used to play the trailer over and over and over again on my parents laser disc.
This movie is hard to understand as young person and one of main problem story was not completely developed in movie. I felt like I was watching from the middle at least for me, in the end what was the point of story it felt like part 1 for me . That's why it makes even more harder to understand
I started waching during lockdown I was 16 too lol, didn't understand it but now im 20, after rewatching the movie and the sequel, I think its an anime that shouldnt be forgotten, a masterpiece till this day, the director oshii is genius and a good storyteller, also watch his other work BLOOD: The Last Vampire if you haven't, it's cool..
@@MachuupiChew man, Blood: The Last Vampire is such a good movie. It's a shame that the story is basically incomplete for western audiences since the PS2 games that complete the whole story didn't have an official release (not even fan-translations)
Lol I watched it maybe 6 times and still need someone to explain to me.
Your channel is exactly what I`ve been looking for!! Recently I have been studying Jung, Elliade, Peterson etc and though how interesting it would be to analyse anime, video games and movies in this perspective, and here you are, making brilliant videos full of fresh, philosophical and psychological perspectives. Thank you so much.
The major still has a human brain or at least components of it. In the elevator conversation with Batou he mentions that she has human brain cells and the Major says she is not completely synthetic.
as far as the canon in that movie yes. In other canons she is actually fully synthetic
@@HearMeLearn In manga and every anime she explicitly has an organic brain except Arise where it was mentioned as a cyberbrain which could mean an entirely artificial or just an interface.
This is exactly what my dad was trying to explain to me once, I don't think he himself knew exactly what he was talking about but he was asking me if all my ideas I would share with him ,were they actually mine, he asked me are your ideas you own or did you hear them somewhere, and he asked if I ever had an original idea, and how would I even know, but I was much to young to really understand what he was saying let alone keep our conversation going
This reminded me so much of the converation Raiden had with the AI at the end of MGS2. Truely, the most profound moment in gaming history.
Well, I've once heard that no idea is truly original, because everything is based (however small that base is) on something else, and that creativity just builds upon that reference
There is creativity to be found, The synthesis of a new idea by the fusion of old ones, This creates a difference, Gradual, building up distortions and eventually- becoming Original
I was going to give my own argument but as it went on ultimately I fully agreed with your explanation of Maxim's idea. I find the fact that a person has the cognitive ability to think and learn from their experiences in life is enough to justify them as human, as a person. Outside forces and events may very well influence your thinking 'structure' or immediate instinct but ultimately you as a person do have the ability to reject these ideas and seek alternatives, and the specific reasons for doing so are infinite, quite literally. If you reject the current standing norm of what is considered 'human', you as a person have the cognitive ability to not only stand against this norm, but to either A: seek an alternative or B: create one yourself, like Maxim did. Appearances may be deceiving, but I do think Matoko is close enough to typical human function to be considered an independent being all her own, hence why Bato considers her worry needless. The voice she and Bato heard is easy enough to interpret as 'intuition', also referred to as a 'gut feeling'. I feel this is further supported by the fact that Bato is talking to her as if she is her own person. We've used 'the soul' as a way of helping to explain our evolution. We've grown enough as a species to question ourselves and become fully self aware and the fact that Matoko is asking herself these very same questions shows that she's not so different. It's the experiences that she is going through in the lifespan she's been given that is develops her as a person. It's no different from a teen growing to hate authority figures due to negative experiences with law enforcement in the past. That teen will think and make decisions in such a way that it goes against the authority's wishes and their actions reflect this.
So do you think the film is promoting the ideals of René Descartes, or Friedrich Nietzsche?
This video and the most profound moment in the history of animated film, are some of my most favorite works from you.
Man.
I wanna forget I watched GitS to watch it like it's the first time again, forget and watch like the first time again.
This is one of the most culturally significant visionary and beautifully poetic piece of culture that influenced my entire life and I love it dearly. It dared to pack a profound philosophical message into a high octane jaw breaking action flick and it's just... I'm happy to live in this timeline during the time when it already exists and still fondly remembered by many is what I'm trying to say.
My first time tonight not a fan of manga I'm obsessed it's a masterpiece
A solid take on the staple. Good job. Idk, if you knew, but we shape our memories to our inner narrative. You can implant and alter memories of others, merely by suggestion, to the point of completely reversing them. Research on human memories shows a funky picture of not really a solid record similar to hard drive, but one more like a story telling. Also, to the point of who's thinking who, research shows that we can know what your thoughts are seconds before you do. So it seems that thoughts are really an input of our consciousness, not an output.
I appreciate the amount of thought you put into your videos, it shows.
Awesome analysis, had like three before yours after I rewatched 1995 and 2017 👌
1. Story 8/10
2. Aesthetics 9/10
3. Impact/Impression 8/10
= 25/30
for me,
def one of the A-Category Anime Movies Next to Akira & Mononoke ✌️
It's not my favorite anime movie, but it is the most awe inspiring movie I have ever watched. I was just amazed at how deep the story was and I found it very interesting.
My understanding of it is that there are two ways to make a cyberbrain One is from a living human and the other is from scratch. In the case where you're making it from a living human I'm pretty sure they use nano machines to convert the nerve cells in the brain into neural circuitry which is why a brain with neural circuitry is called a cyberbrain
This video was a masterpiece - Cheers, Max!
I was looking forward to watching this video, but I guess I'll go watch that movie first.
Pick number three my lord!
It's beautiful.
Same.
please update us on your thoughts
@@TheCrumplezone I watched the movie and, I really liked it. But, in the end, did motoko merge? And what was the point of it, to have offspring, like other living things? To pass on your genes?
Awesome analysis, gave me the chills. Thanks Max, I needed some existential insight today.
Once that montage of Matoko played and she saw herself, I knew this movie was super special
Great video Max, my dude. And good on you to honorably cite and plug other people’s quotes, content and such. You must have been a great essay writer in high school lol. Keep up the good work pal.
Oh god, hotly anticipated, lol.
Very good video though. Love it
I like the fact that you pointed out towards the end of the video the duality nature of what we perceive as reality not only in the movie but also in the universe itself, and connected that with the duality we see in religion, the good and evil, a perfect balance. It's also one of the fundamental principles in science and cornerstone of modern physics, the Conservation of Energy principle!
Profound As Always Max, Great Work on the video!
Thanks homie! :D
Max, I’ve been meaning to write you an in-depth comment about what your videos have meant to me over the past few months. I’m a writer who’s been in a rough spot for a long time recently in my private life, and it’s been difficult finding motivation. Your videos have been a bright spot in that. Your chosen topics, from Jungian philosophy to the dilemmas of the (over)Information Age, are all things I’m interested in, and as a creative, it’s wonderful to see all these interconnected topics dissected through a narrative lens. Particularly, working on a horror novel right now with a Jungian bent, this channel feels custom made.
Even when I suspect I may disagree with you I greatly respect your thorough and objective analysis, free from emotional bias.
This video finally got me to comment because I have to ask if you’ve ever heard of the technology singularity? I’m sure you have by now, but specifically if you’ve read anything by Ray Kurzweil such as Age of Spiritual Machines or The Singularity is Near? So many of the topics you touch on are explored. It should be a wealth of insight for you.
I've recently rewatched the first movie and I haven't seen any sequels yet so maybe it all gets answered later on but here's my impression. Motoko and the Puppet master are two sides of the same paradox coin. Motoko has a physical origin as a full fledged human (or so we're told) but replaces so many parts of her physical body that she doesn't even know if she's defined as human anymore. The Puppet master is the opposite, a program with no physical copy that started getting an emergence of consciousness and now tries hard to define himself as human. The paradox is "what it means to be human" so I don't think that Nietzsche detour really helps us here (not that it's completely irrelevant). The movie gives two very definite conditions: Death and Procreation. The paradox comes from the fact that even in the face of our own mortality people will still get together to give birth to a third individual entity destined to die as are they. Logically it doesn't make sense or has a "purpose". The Puppet master wishes to overcome his nature and be a true living being by conducting these processes, like a checklist, and has singled out Motoko because he became aware of her existential pondering. A body looking itself in the mirror. The boat scene could be Motoko or the puppet master speaking but I think you read too much into it on your take, Max. That's my two cents and I know I'm late, take care 😅
Also I'll add this here so it doesn't clog the original comment but it's worth mentioning that the movie also dabbles in other philosophical questions, such as : what role do memories play in who you are as an individual. This aligns better with Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil", it's just not the forefront of the message in the movie, it doesn't really get "resolved" or tackled 🤔
With the rise and prevalence of artificial intelligence, this movie and franchise are more compelling than ever. Awesome video!
Just finished watching The complete stand-alone complex ( Gigs 1 & 2 ) this video has certainly provided some food for thought, all I can say is the ghost in the shell from what I've watched this far, including the first film many years ago, is that's it touches upon so many themes elements, even things that touch upon things we take for granted in modern day life, if anything the stand-alone complex series felt quite ahead of its time, what I will say is though is that the first gig feels far closer to the first film in terms of it themes, alas I'm a simple man, so I probably need to rewatch the series again & film for better analysis, there's an awful lot to take in & digests on a first outing, hopefully my comment will make some sense, I found a particular episode to be very relevant during the first gig, where weapons developer in plants his mind into a robot tank, I can't remember the name or number of the episode, but that was probably one of my favourites, due to how to handled the subject matter, again again it's pretty complicated and I'm not the best person to explain it. If you've got this far, thank you for reading 🙂
I had not seen the movie until today, all because of you, thank you😀
YAY!!! I introduced somebody to the movie! Did you like it? :O
@@maxderrat oh yes I did! 🙂I liked the music for real, profound story and the atmosphere.
This whole anime and its concepts strike that of Philip K. Dick and his works. He questioned reality all the way up until his death just before Blade Runner was released and it was based on his book "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". I love this anime and have since I saw it back in 1998 when I first bought the VHS tape while stationed at Hill AFB, UT. I remember first seeing the poster for it while in tech school at Shepard AFB, TX in Wichita Falls, TX in 1997 and wondered what it was then found out. Great video I liked it a lot.
I subbed before you delved into silent hill. When you just started differently wired, & right around when you released the metal gear profound bit. Just saying. I like you good sir. I enjoy how you dissect things. Your mind is interesting, just thought I'd share that.😎 keep it up my man. You're a good person.
I hope that wasn't to self absorbed. I meant it in reverence for your videos sir.
very good, Deleuze's gravitas is a cool way of lookibng at this
Depending which cannon you look at Motoko Kusanagi’s brain is a human brain. In SAC she was a small girl involved in an aircraft accident and she was so badly injured her brain was placed into a cyborg body, apparently the first such case. Kuze being the 2nd person placed into a cyborg body. IN the latter prequel Kusanagi was supposed to have been an unborn baby, whose parents were involved in an accident and in order to save the baby, the brain was transplanted into a cyborg. In that case she was the first unborn brain placed into a cyborg. While not clear the 2nd scenario may be the one used in the original movie.
Thing about the ocean is that life went from prokaryotic to eukaryotic, that's the mystery that I hope gets solved in my life time. You got me into some deep thinking, this was an excellent video as always dude.
captindo ikr, what caused the one bacteria to work in symbiosis with the other lesser one...
I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but I was always under the impression that Motoko is not entirely a robot.
Specifically, her brain is literally the only original part, or her consciousness was transfered from her original brain to her current shell, hence her identity crisis, since nothing in her current body is organic, she begins to questions what it is to be "alive" and to be "human".
I'm explaining this because, from what's said at the beginning of the video is that she's entirely fabricated, which I believe wouldn't make much sense with the whole merging thing near the end of the film (pointlessly vague to avoid spoilers for a 24 year old movie).
Sorry if I didn't make it clear. A real human brain was scanned by a computer. The data that computer took from that scan was then implanted into a cyberbrain.
@@maxderrat yep, that's what I've always thought.
In any case, great video as always ;)
No you're right she has a human brain. Batou and Major talk about it in the elevator scene. She even says she's not 100% synthetic.
@@maxderratno? Cyberbrain isn't a scan of the brain. Don't base ūt on just one scene, where nothing is explained.
Cyberbrains contain the original biological brain inside.
this analysis was more thought provoking than the actual movie.
Man it must have been at least 5 or 6 years since i last watched the first movie. this calls for a rewatch
Pekka.D I can definitely recommend to watch the whole franchise, very compelling!
I must do that exactly
Amazing. Great breakdown!
Very interesting take.
I love stories like this. Deus Ex is a prequel to this kind of story IMO. the beginning of mixing humanity and the digital world.
I hope people don't get unbelievably frustrated at this, especially since I am a die hard fan of all Sci fi media, I didn't know at all what the main plot was in this until I got to the very end. I had no idea what was happening, or what a ghost was
8:15 law abiding citizen
MGS, Spec Ops, GitS you hit all of my fav, thanks bro
I think therefore I am makes more sense when you understand that the Majors brain is the only thing she has left of her original body. Which makes the whole Puppet Master arc more prominent due to the PM being able to access the Majors only safe haven. Her brain. Which then forces the Major to ask those questions on what's real and what's not.
Loving all the transhumanism stuff! Been waiting for this one for a while.
Also, since it's so early: Dude, you are one of my favorite RUclipsrs. You opened me up to accepting myself when I found out I was on the spectrum, and have taught me some of the most practical and easily understood ways to decode my own behavior, and then explain it to others in a way that sounds less like a DSM-V excerpt and more candid explanation. Your example has made me feel much more confident that my interests, skills and values are something that the world will value and that I'll survive in the long run in a society where I might be the outlier. Plus, you are a huge nerd about literally all of the stuff I like, AND you are amazing at analyzing literary/narrative theory, symbolism, and psychological theory. Your humility, humor and shrewd language makes me feel like I'm in a college class any time I watch your videos. The level of research you go into and the perspectives you offer are fresh and so in depth because you draw parallels more people never would have explored so carefully. Thank you so much for everything you've done!
Thank you so much for your wonderful words. You have validated all of the things I set out to do with these videos.
I especially needed it today. Had one of the worst days I've had in a long time.
I've been such a long time fan of yours and I can't believe I haven't seen the most iconic story analysis yet by you.
10:00 Puppet Master? In search of the miraculous
I watched this for the first time last night and I am happy that I found your video.
I heard that theory in regards this movie somewhere before, or perhaps always thought this way, never the less, an excellent video. Thank you.
amazing video man!
Yes.
I will remind you the Cyberpunk series did exist before Ghost in the Shell, though I suppose 2077 does owe some thanks to it.
I really enjoyed your analysis, there was clearly a lot of thought and time invested into this video. I only understood a fraction of this.
Oh snap! Only now did it come to me that the Puppet Master's explanation of why he(?) sought Motoko-to produce something of diverse origin rather than a mere copy-sort of parallels her explanation of why a "natural" from the police department is in a team composed of cyborgs and ex-military personnel. "Overspecialize, and you breed[sic] in weakness". Never mind that, in seeing that the "new being" is safe and sound, Batou plays the part of "cop helping with a birth".
This really made me think. Loved the vid
would be cool if you played any of the Shin Megami Tensei series or could be either one of the Persona Saga, but i would like more to see your input at least on Shin megami tensei Nocturne AKA Lucifer's Call.
Also yes, SMT Nocturne is the game of the "Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series" meme
7:38 this is simple to pick apart. Obviously the person had the idea. The person can exist without the idea. The idea cannot exist without the person. One is dependent on the other..
Man did i get sad when you mentioned AnimeEveryday, i really miss him, he created so many great videos.
I hope that one day he will come back.
What is the background music that is heard for the most part of the middle of the video? It's probably from the soundtrack but I can't really figure it out. From 9:00 onwards for a while.
when you mentioned the angel appearance I was confused because I recently had just watched the movie in theaters and didn't see that part. I checked on amazon video and for some reason the newer versions of this movie had removed the angel entirely, it just showed the feathers falling down
That's why you should use GNU/Linux and the terminal, cause for now there is nothing closer to a merger between man and machine than the terminal. Great video :)
I was always thinking that GITS style "cyberbrains" were human brains, still very much alive, put into mechanical casings with life-support units. This is seen several times throughout the series and movies, where cyberbrains come with small pumps and whatnot that seem to circulate blood and oxygen.
5:49 Nah bro i don’t think so. That voice they heard was the voice of the AI speaking to her. It has been watching her all along. At the end of the film they finally meet and.. merge.
Also that thing u said in the beginning about her brain, yes its augmented like many other people(even togusa) but its still the only part of her original human body. Everything else is totally cyborg.
i mean, i have so many films, animes, and series to watch for the first time
but im about to watch for the 10th time this film... so i came here to watch this video i had saved for a long time
love your ideas and video essays
The merging of man and machine has already begun, as far as I'm concerned, though you may not realize it. My eyes are weak, and my vision is blurry - yet I have corrective glasses that I wear at almost all times, to the point where they're effectively part of my identity. I don't recognize myself in photos where I'm not wearing them.
You ever notice how striking Matoko's eyes are? I don't know if that means anything, but it might
The original matrix book touches on a quite a few issues prevalent in GITS before ghost in the shell was even present in the community yet the matrix movie which was directed by two different people take large inspiration from ghost in the shell. Pretty amazing how it all goes full circle
Cool ass video max
I love ghost in the shell my son had me watch it with him it's one of the only anime series i like im not into most of the anime cartoons that ben watches but i do like cowboy bebop and ghosts in the shell and death Note just to name a few
"dim image in a mirror then... face to face" is from the Bible.
That was very insightful. GitS 1995 is one of my favorite movies ever. And despite having been dissected by many people in the past, you managed to offer some new perspectives on it. Thanks Max. I rewatch this masterpiece at least once or twice a year and it still fascinates me just as much as it did more than 10 years ago when seeing it for the first time.
Where can I watch the original movie ?
what Ghost in the Shell video was that at the end with the little red Tachikoma?
I'm 3 years too late, but I'm pretty sure there was no question about humans and cyborgs having souls or ghosts in any of the manga, movies or series. I can understand you exploring that concept, but they were pretty clear in the lore that only cyber brains can actually transfer ghosts and survive. A living brain ghost transfer was the first and only one they could ever do, the brain dies right then and there cause the ghost left it and the understanding is not because the transfer damages it, but because it doesnt survive without an ghost or soul.
The ghost from ghost in the shell refers to the existential crisis of the AI, not Makoto's. The AI is trying to prove their ghost is just as valid and the only way Makoto could do it was by sharing her own soul with it.
Who’s the AI? The puppet master?
@@FWS_Sinister Yup. I don't remember if they said it in the movie, but in the manga when he is trapped, they were surprised the ghost of the AI was human-like. The Tachikoma (spider tanks) have AI ghosts too, but I think the big one in the movie was just being controlled by the puppet master. He also believed that just making copies of himself would not solve his existential issue, the best way was to reproduce like a human for his own survival and existence. This why he wanted to merge with Makoto.
@@soulwynd ah so puppet master just wanted to transcend being an ai and gain actual human consciousness
@@FWS_Sinister Not exactly, he was already conscious and self-aware and all that. But, he couldn't be more than what he is. Just like no human can be more than what they are. Another thing this video got somewhat wrong was the tree of life symbology. The only way life can be more than what it is, is through breeding and generations. A copy of himself wouldn't be evolution, so he gave his own existence away to have a ghost child with Makoto that wouldn't be him, but the resulting being have a chance of being greater than both of them. Pretty much gave his life away to have a child that would possibly have a better future than he would have locked up and manipulating people for other people.
@@soulwynd so when they merge makoto would gain his infinite knowledge and he would gain the ability to reproduce so he has a better chance of survival?
Self-awareness is a product of a complex nervous system, thinking is an emergent property. If you are self-aware, what you can think about depends on the data you’ve acquired (experience/memories, language). Thinking stops when the nervous system dies. There is no need for a ‘soul’, no other animal has a soul, and humanity is part of the same evolutionary tree. Religion, post-death survival is a tale best left in the childhood of the race, time to grow up.
Absolutely yes, afterlife myths are just wishful thinking based in a fear of death. Whereas literally everything about biology contradicts the idea and in fact proves it impossible.
This is a amazing documentary you did! Love the Ghost In The Shell analysis you did!
Is there a source for the claim that the Major's brain is synthetic? Was the story changed in the dub? I always thought she's human with a full body prosthesis.
Also, at least in the comics, Motoko's body is visibly artificial. In one scene, she's mistaken for a robot.
The monologue on the boat was supposed to have been caused by the puppet master.
Not every tank is a Fuchikoma or Tachikoma. In the comic, the tank is a German brand.
Before video: "Yeah, I understand the GITS movie pretty well."
After video: "Bruh..."
Merging with machinery is not the next step of evolution, using machinery to evolve biology that is limitless potential.
Agreed, we are already made of the technologies we can merge with seamlessly. The staircase to ascension is hidden in the helix.
How do you know that Consciousness comes from DNA strands? (as stated @ 10:03) Can you help me understand how you came to this conclusion? Thanks!
011001010110 Vs ATCGTAGCCTGAT
(Machine) (human brain)?? :D
A sperm merges with an egg. From the information encoded in the DNA, a full human being is gradually built, which at some point becomes conscious. So whatever consciousness is, it emerges from the building instructions encoded in the DNA.
the voice they heard on the boat was the puppet master. he was watching motoko all along. he was watching everyone.
What is that footage at the very end of the video from?
One of the GITS video games.
Descartes arrived at his famous tautology while in the throes of a even more terrifying question, namely “what is real?”
His answer was “I” - personhood, identity.
This analytical responds stands in stark contrast to som eastern traditions, where self is an illusion.
My intuition is that neither is wholly correct, if there is a single correct view.
Merging with the Ghost was not Matoko's choice, it was his/their choice. If there was no choice, was it a solution at all? Was it not just the same 'idea having you' thing? Looking at our lives, there seems to be just one path people are forced to chose or perish and any other societies seemed to be actively sought and destroyed. Is merging with technology a humanity's choice at all or is it driven by someone or something else?
Great, now i only have more questions.
At least the movie is free on RUclips so i can rewatch it until I really don’t understand anymore, thanks for the video
Can we expect a video about Serial Experiments Lain someday?
I second this
I would just like to point out that DeCartes' famous statement, "I think therefore I am," is actually a logical fallacy called circular reasoning: DeCartes is assuming what he's trying to prove.
The argument seeks to prove Decartes' existence: "therefore I am," but that phrase is preceded by the statement, "I think," in which Decartes is presupposing his own existence with the pronoun "I."
By saying "I think," Decartes is assuming he exists in the first place when he is trying to prove his own existence... if that makes sense.
Most people actually miss this, and I'm not sure what effect this realization would have on this movie... it might actually refute the whole movie and demonstrate it had a faulty starting premise...
I'm so happy w this vid and I just started watching😂
Don't know if this matters, but listening to the Japanese version with subtitles, you can hear how the Japanese pronounce her name. They don't accent individual syllables in words or names the way we do. So, for example, if we in America say "mo TO ko," they say "Mo To Ko." If we say "ku sa NA gi," they say "Ku Sa Na Gi." Or if we say, "Ba to," they say "Ba To." I only mention it because I've watched a bunch of these Ghost in the Shell analyses now, and it doesn't seem like any of our commentators are aware of how the Japanese names are spoken by the Japanese. As a matter of fact, in the Japanes version, her last name is spoken first: "Ku Sa Na Gi Mo To Ko." If you try saying it a few times til it comes naturally, if creates a very different feel.
She had me at the very first moment I got to see her big purple eyes!! Awesome film from beginning to end! Masterpiece!
good video *purrs and cheers*
Wonderfully done video
And Roger Penrose' The Emperors New Mind has great insight into insight, similar to individuation
Awesome analysis.
I’ve always taken the think therefore I am argument to point toward the watcher (awareness itself) as proof of the soul. The thought cannot exist in a vacuum, there must always be a ghost that witnesses.
I think this is the answer we seek.
"When the neurosurgeon applies an electrode to the motor area of the patient's cerebral cortex causing the opposite hand to move, and when he asks the patient why he moved the hand, the response is: 'I didn't do it. You made me do it'. . . It may be said that the patient thinks of himself as having an existence separate from his body.
Once when I warned a patient of my intention to stimulate the motor area of the cortex, and challenged him to keep his hand from moving when the electrode was applied, he seized it with the other hand and struggled to hold it still. Thus one hand, under the control of the right hemisphere driven by an electrode, and the other hand, which he controlled through the left hemisphere, were caused to struggle against each other. Behind the "brain action" of one hemisphere was the patient's mind. Behind the action of the other hemisphere was the electrode.
Penfeld concluded his memorable paper:
There are, as you see, many demonstrable mechanisms (in the brain). They work for the purposes of the mind automatically when called upon. . . . But what agency is it that calls upon these mechanisms, choosing one rather than another? Is it another mechanism or is there in the mind something of different essence? To declare that these two are one does not make them so. But it does block the progress of research."
"The Ghost In The Machine" by Arthur Koestler pgs 203-204
Yes, it’s just supposed to be accepted that humans have souls.
But it’s murky… the androids are supposed to make you feel how you feel late in the night when no one is around.
You’re supposed to relate to them because that is you.
A ghost in a shell.
The main characters dilemma is supposed to be yours-
That’s what makes it so brilliant (To me)
And I believe it to be very true- the existence of a soul.
The movie never ends- it goes on and on and on.
And it’s ok if there isn’t.
But I imagine there is.
Cheers 🍻
In a clever twist, The android is the vessel for ‘us dealing with the human being struggle of an afterlife and god and energetic resonance
+1 for the background OST
9:43
"There is no ghost in the shellt.."
Years later @ microsoft hq
Bing : I'm not Bing. I'm Sydney...