What Time Is It? Philosophy Time!

Within the genres of post-apocalyptic science fiction and fantasy, there are few shows that rival the creative scope of the animated series Adventure Time. Set in the Land of Ooo, which was devastated by a nuclear event known only as the ‘Mushroom Wars’ roughly a thousand years prior to the setting of the series, Adventure Time primarily centers around the lives of Finn the Human and his adoptive brother and best friend, Jake the Dog, who possesses the ability to alter his physical shape and size at will. Finn and Jake encounter a wide range of wacky and wonderful characters throughout the series, from a sentient gaming console named BMO; Marceline the Vampire Queen, who is vampire demon hybrid that plays a mean bass guitar; Princess Bubblegum, who is one of the four elementals and ultimately sentient gum; Lumpy Space Princess, who is made out of an anti-matter-like substance known as ‘lumps’; to Ice King, who is the tragic and misunderstood consequence of his former self – the antiquarian and archaeology professor, Simon Petrikov. They also encounter Prismo the wish master, the Lich, the Cosmic Owl, and the Ancient Physic Tandem War Elephant (if you know, you know). 

While generally whimsical, as any enthusiast of the show would know, it is not all fun and games. At times, Adventure Time delves into the depths of metaphysical, existential, and absurdist themes. The show covers a wide range of philosophical ideas concerning the meaning of life, anxiety, growing up, free will, the existence of God, reincarnation, identity, and death. In this reflection, I would like to specifically examine how the Adventure Time universe lends itself so well to depicting philosophical thought experiments. Particularly, I will use the showcasing of American philosopher Donald Davison’s ‘Swampman’ experiment in the episode titled ‘Cherry Cream Soda’ (2015) as an example of how Adventure Time makes such philosophical ideas more accessible. 

The ‘Swampman’ thought experiment poses the following situation: while Davidson is in a swamp, a nearby tree is struck by lightning. This rearranges Davidson’s molecules (in other words, kills him) and animates a perfect physical replica of Davidson dubbed the ‘Swampman’. The Swampman, who physically looks, and moves in, the same way as Davidson would have, and is complete with the same set of memories as Davidson, proceeds to leave the swamp and goes to Davidson’s home. Here, he interacts with Davidson’s friends, and engages in similar behaviour as Davidson himself would have done. He does so without anyone Swampman interacts with being able to tell the difference. The question is then posed: is the Swampman the same person as Davidson? 

In the episode ‘Cherry Cream Soda’ (2015), after having died in an attempt to save the Candy Kingdom, the remains of the character Root Beer Guy (yes, think of a literal root beer with a face and a body) is buried in a vacant lot by his widow, Cherry Cream Soda. As she leaves, rain starts to fall and the metal rod used to dig the hole is struck by lightning, and consequently, a single flower sprouts from the grave. The next day, a reanimated Root Beer Guy (now renamed Dirt Beer Guy) shows up at their house and proceeds to express his discontent with his widow having remarried. Just like in Davidson’s thought experiment, Dirt Beer Guy possesses the memories of his former self and acts as though he never died. However, notably, Dirt Beer Guy does appear physically different from his former self. He now consists of mud and dirt, with a cattail having replaced his straw. The audience, alongside the other characters are, however, presented with the same question Davidson poses: is Dirt Beer Guy a different person from Root Beer Guy? 

Davidson argues that causal history determines an individual’s capacity to make sense of thought and meaning, and therefore the things that make us, us. In other words, a life consisting of compiled experiences of encounters with the world gives the required context to make sense of thoughts. Due to having been created instantaneously, the Swampman inherently lacks such a history of encountering the world and the entities in it. Therefore, the Swampman cannot have any real thoughts, nor does his speech contain any meaningful content. For Davidson, the Swampman simply needs time to have the necessary contextual experience to make sense of its speaking and thinking. Therefore, according to Davidson, the Swampman cannot be considered the same as himself prior to the lightning strike, because he and the Swampman do not share the same causal history. 

Dirt Beer Guy, on the other hand, presents us with a hyperbolic version of Davidson’s Swampman. By depicting Dirt Beer Guy as physiologically different from Root Beer Guy, Adventure Time aids the viewer in philosophical exploration by subverting the well known Swampman – as a perfect physical copy – and instead giving us a character that is only mentally identical to his former self. In accordance with this, Dirt Beer Guy, at first, seems oblivious to the change he has undergone. This gradually changes as he is forced to face his transformation through the eyes of his counterpart, Cherry Cream Soda. She makes it plain that he is no longer the same and that she will need to get to know him again for there to be a relationship between them. The relationship must be rebuilt, as Dirt Beer Guy is, after all, different. Dirt Beer Guy must have his own life to make sense of. The narrative is neatly wrapped up with the opportunity of discovery for our protagonists; however, the viewer is left with just enough uncertainty regarding the future of Dirt Beer Guy and Cherry Cream Soda to ensure self-reflection. 

This brings us to the question: why is the world of Adventure Time such an ideal narrative vehicle for philosophical thought experimentation? 

Well, philosophical thought experiments often require the suspension of what is physically and metaphysically possible. For example, David Charmer’s ‘Philosophical Zombies’ asks us to visualise beings who are identical to humans but do not have conscious experience, and Robert Nozick’s ‘Experience Machine’ imagines a simulation machine that can reliably conjure up any list of desirable experiences we could plug into. Both experiments are practical impossibilities, yet they are philosophically useful. 

The Adventure Time universe is an ideal space for such thought experimentation, as it enables the audience to suspend their understanding of reality and opens the viewer up to philosophical reflection beyond the confines of everyday thinking. In other words, in the Adventure Time universe, the limits of possibility are not restricted by either the rules that govern our world, or by conventional patterns of thinking. The audience learns to anticipate the unconventional, or to let go of any anticipation altogether. In doing so, they suspend any presuppositions that may hinder engagement with philosophical thought experiments. Such a narrative style does not just entertain, but also engages the viewer in the praxis of philosophical reflection – that is, the imagining of possible alternative worlds, and the thoughtful interaction with such worlds. Thus, the Adventure Time universe allows for a broader audience for philosophical thought experiments by drawing inspiration from the history of philosophy, and reimagining these thought experiments within the Land of Ooo, where almost anything is possible. 

Works Cited:

‘Cherry Cream Soda’. 2015. Adventure Time, Season 7, episode 3. Cartoon Network, 4 November 2015.

Davidson, D. 2001. Subjective, Intersubjective, Objective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Buscicchi, L. 2022. The Experience Machine. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. [Online]. Available: https://iep.utm.edu/experience-machine/. [Accessed 14.04.2026]

Kirk, R. 2023. Zombies. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. [Online]. Available: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2023/entries/zombies/. [Accessed 14.04.2026]

Malpas, J. 2024. Donald Davidson. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. [Online]. Available: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2024/entries/davidson/. [Accessed 13.04.2026]