How much shall I be changed before I am changed! : an overview of Philip K. Dick's search for enlightenment

Abstract

This dissertation deals with the roles religion, sanity and reality play in Philip K. Dick's fiction and life. These three elements feature prominently in both. After giving a measured biographical introduction, religion, sanity and reality are discussed with reference to relevant fictional works and philosophical writings. Philip K. Dick builds constructs to accommodate complex philosophical questions. These constructs help reach an audience and could be part of his appeal. There is interplay between his immersion in situations and the ideas he tested. The conclusion attempts to provide an evaluation of how the Philip K. Dick ethos hangs together. Does Philip K. Dick successfully bring the metaphysical to the man in the street? This dissertation is supported through reference to Valis, Martian Time-Slip, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Man in The High Castle and A Scanner Darkly.