Bøger i Popular Culture and Philosophy serien

Suitable for Led Zeppelin's fans, this book appreciates the deeper aspects of the band's music and influence, such as the way that Hegel's metaphysics can illuminate Zeppelin's dynamic reconciliation of musical opposites, and how various theories of Sublime provide the key to understanding the enduring power and global appeal of Zeppelin's music.

Why do vampires and vegetarians share a similar worldview? Why is understanding zombies the key to health care reform? What does 'healthy in mind and body' mean for the undead? This book addresses these questions.

Examines the intriguing anime films and series to find what lies at their core. This title analyzes films such as "Akira", "Astro Boy", "Cowboy Bebop", "Death Note", "Dragon Ball Z", "Full Metal Alchemist", and "Ghost in the Shell". It also covers the storytelling of Japan's animated films, TV series and OVA (original video animation).

A follow-up to The Matrix and Philosophy considers issues of freedom, causation, metaphysics, race, violence, and the definition of humanity as seen through the lens of the Matrix movies and its Animatrix anime spinoff.

These essays explores Mel Gibson's "Passion" in depth and expands on its themes. Topics covered include why Christ was killed; whether moral responsibility is possible when God knows what's going to happen; the relationship between the film, anti-Semitism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; the role of women in The Passion; and more.

The spirit of exploration that characterizes "Star Trek"'s many television and cinematic incarnations is also the driving force behind philosophical inquiry throughout human history. This book features essays that follow "Star Trek"'s inspiration to reach out to the farthest frontiers the mind may reach, while also delving into the human essence.

Transformers began with toys and a cartoon series in 1984 and has since grown to include comic books, movies, and video games — its science fiction story has reached an audience with a wide range second only to that of Star Wars. Here, in Transformers and Philosophy, a dream team of philosophers pursues the fascinating questions posed by humankind’s encounter with an artificially intelligent mechanical civilization: Is genuine artificial intelligence possible? Would a robotic civilization come with its own morality and artistic life, and would it find a need for romantic love? Should we be more careful about developing robots that may eventually develop ideas of their own? Transformers and Philosophy puts Transformers under a microscope and exposes its philosophical implications in an instantly readable way.

The Grateful Dead and Philosophy contains essays from 20 professional philosophers whose love of the Dead''s music and scene have led them to reflect on different philosophical questions that have arisen from the enigma that is the Grateful Dead. Coming at the Dead from a variety of perspectives, ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, this book considers how the group fits into the broader trends of American thought running through pragmatism and the Beat poets. There''s a pertinent analysis of how the parking lot scene with its tie-dyed t-shirt and veggie burrito vendors was both a rejection and embrace of capitalism, and much more. The lyrics of the Grateful Dead’s many songs are also the basis for several essays considering questions of fate and freedom, the nature-nurture debate, and gamblers’ ethics.

The most popular musical group of all time, the Beatles also brought serious thought to the bubble gum-scented world of pop and rock music, with adventurous, profound, and sometimes mysterious lyrics that veered from the deliberate absurdity of “I Am the Walrus” to the rosy Rousseau-like fantasy of “When I’m 64” to the darkly existential/nihilist visions of “Eleanor Rigby” and “A Day in the Life.” In this lively new book, 20 Beatles-loving philosophers offer fresh insight into the lives and words of the Fab Four. Among the topics investigated are the groups’ critique of consumer culture; John Lennon and the Cold War; Paul McCartney’s philosophy of love, community, and politics; the Beatles’ struggle against the inauthentic; the ethics of chemically changed states of consciousness; the metaphysical standing of popularized Eastern meditation; and skepticism in the Beatles’ worldview. Like earlier titles in this popular series, The Beatles and Philosophy discusses complex issues in an enjoyable, highly readable fashion.

The shower scene in Psycho; Cary Grant running for his life through a cornfield; “innocent” birds lined up on a fence waiting, watching — these seminal cinematic moments are as real to moviegoers as their own lives. But what makes them so? What deeper forces are at work in Hitchcock’s films that so captivate his fans? This collection of articles in the series that’s explored such pop-culture phenomena as Seinfeld and The Simpsons examines those forces with fresh eyes. These essays demonstrate a fascinating range of topics: Sabotage’s lessons about the morality of terrorism and counter-terrorism; Rope’s debatable Nietzschean underpinnings; Strangers on a Train’s definition of morality. Some of the essays look at more overarching questions, such as why Hitchcock relies so heavily on the Freudian unconscious. In all, the book features 18 philosophers paying a special homage to the legendary auteur in a way that’s accessible even to casual fans.

Covering everything from Aristotle to ziti, this title explores such topics as: is Tony Soprano a good man?; is Carmella a feminist?; morally speaking who is the worst person on "The Sopranos"; and is watching "The Sopranos" harmful to your mental or moral health?

A light-hearted introduction to philosophy through the antics of the Simpsons, television's animated family. The contributors discuss the thought of key philosophers including Aristotle, Sartre and Kant, and tackle issues like irony and the meaning of life, and American anti-intellectualism.

A humorous investigation into the connections between the likes of Marx and Foucault and one of the legendary symbols of outlaw individualism. Here, words like Sturgis, Hollister, and panhead share the page with philosophical giants such as Marx, Hobbes and Socrates. It offers a series of essays, combining humour and philosophical introspection.

U2 have been one of the biggest acts in rock music. They've produced over a dozen platinum and multi-platinum records and won 15 Grammy Awards. This work helps the readers to discover philosophy through the eyes of U2, and rediscover U2 through the eyes of philosophers.

This collection of essays tackle philosophical questions from these blockbuster films, pondering such issues as whether Anakin as predestined to fall to the Dark Side, if the Jedi are truly role models of moral virtue, and the meaning of being mindful of the "living force."

A thought-provoking collection of essays explores the philosophical side of the comic book world, collecting the contributions of sixteen philosophers on a variety of subjects, including evil, justice, metaphysics, and the limits of violence. Original.

From the 1970s cult TV show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, to the current hit musical Spamalot, the Monty Python comedy troupe has been at the center of popular culture and entertainment. The Pythons John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam are increasingly recognized and honored for their creativity and enduring influence in the worlds of comedy and film. Monty Python and Philosophy extends that recognition into the world of philosophy. Fifteen experts in topics like mythology, Buddhism, feminism, logic, ethics, and the philosophy of science bring their expertise to bear on Python movies such as Monty Python's Life of Brian and Flying Circus mainstays such as the Argument Clinic, the Dead Parrot Sketch, and, of course, the Bruces, the Pythons' demented, song-filled vision of an Australian philosophy department. Monty Python and Philosophy follows the same hit format as the other titles in this popular series and explains all the philosophical concepts discussed in laymen's terms.

In the tradition of classic horror films, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" addresses ethical issues that have long fascinated audiences. This collection features 23 essays by young professional philosophers that examine crucial ethical and metaphysical aspects of the "Buffyverse" (the world of Buffy).

"SpongeBob SquarePants and Philosophy" is designed to introduce fans of "SpongeBob SquarePants" to some of the great thinkers and questions in philosophy. The essays can be shared by young and old alike, kindling new interest in philosophy and life's big questions. What keeps "SpongeBob" "reeling in" major audiences on a daily basis is that underneath the lighthearted and whimsical exterior are the seeds of long-standing and important philosophical discussions about identity and the self, our obligations toward others, benefits and tensions of the individual in community, principles of the marketplace and environmental ethics, and questions of just how exactly Jack Kahuna Laguna can build a fire at the bottom of the ocean. (Okay, so perhaps we don't have an answer for that last one, but maybe if you look into that fire long enough the answer will be revealed.) The book begins with a section exploration of the major characters of the series. To begin, Nicole Pramik uses the philosophies of Aristotle to demonstrate why SpongeBob, more than any other character in the series, is defined by a life of well-being and flourishing. In chapter two, Timothy Dunn provides an assessment of SpongeBob's best friend, Patrick Star, using the writings of J.S. Mill to ask if the life of simple pleasures preferable to the life of the mind, while in chapter three Natasha Liebig uses the German pessimist philosophers to reveal what it means to live the life of Squidward Q. Tentacles. Chapter four uses the competing philosophies of Ayn Rand and Karl Marx to evaluate the actions of SpongeBob's boss, Mr. Eugene Krabs, while in chapter five Denise Du Vernay explains how Sandy Cheeks offers a brand of feminism that breaks down traditional assumptions about masculine and feminine identity and repackages them into constructive and empowering messages for young people. Concluding this section of the book, Nicholas Michaud uses the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche to ask us reconsider our belief that SpongeBob and his friends are somehow heroic by giving us insight into the "will to power" held by the powerful little protozoan, Plankton. Section two of the book is dedicated to exploring the community of Bikini Bottom, starting with Shaun Young's examination of Bikini Bottom as a representation of various theories of the just state. In chapter eight, Nathan Zook looks into whether we might learn something about theories of democracy and political participation from an election between SpongeBob and Squidward for "Royal Krabby," while in chapter nine Adam Barkman uses the writings of Dante Alighieri to assess the monarchal rule of King Neptune. Chapter ten uses the legal philosophies of thinkers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, John Rawls, and David Hume to answer whether Mr. Krabs has the proper philosophical basis upon which to claim an individual right to possess and profit from the secret Krabby Patty formula. Chapter eleven then takes us to the pristine Jellyfish Fields where Greg Ahrenhoerster uses literary naturalism and the works of transcendentalist thinkers to examine environmental ethics and an individual's obligations to shared resources. The third and final section uses SpongeBob to explore psychological and scientific questions that float around under the sea. In chapter twelve, Katie Anderson uses the episode "Sleepy Time" to explore Cartesian principles related to the philosophical questions that attempt to distinguish between dreams and reality, and in chapter thirteen Robert Kincaid continues the examination into philosophical issues related to the mind by using SpongeBob, Squidward, and Patrick to relate the theories of Sigmund Freud. Chapter fourteen is dedicated to an introduction into the philosophy of science by Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, and Robert Vuckovich concludes the volume with an essay on SpongeBob's insatiable thirst for knowledge in the episode "The Secret Box."

Jimmy Buffett and his music have touched the lives of millions of people around the world, spanning generations and genres. But is Buffett's music just a good time, or is there a deeper level to it? "Jimmy Buffett and Philosophy" shows the philosophical side of this self-proclaimed non-philosopher's work. The articles in this book provide an accessible approach to thinking about Buffett's music philosophically and to thinking about philosophy from the perspective of Jimmy Buffett's music. Along the way, questions are raised about figures in the philosophical tradition from ancient to contemporary -- Epicurus, Diogenes, Heidegger, Josiah Royce, William James, John Dewey, and Judith Butler. In addition, questions about a wide range of traditional philosophical issues, including aesthetic theory, identity, knowledge, culture, and being, are explored.

From the bedtime story by L. Frank Baum to the classic 1939 film, no story has captured the imaginations of generations of children — and adults — like The Wizard of Oz. The story of Dorothy’s journey through Oz, the colorful characters, places, songs, and dialogue have permeated popular culture around the world. The contributors to this volume take a very close look at The Wizard of Oz and ask the tough questions about this wonderful tale. They wonder if someone can possess a virtue without knowing it, and if the realm of Oz was really the dream or if Kansas was the dream. Why does water melt the Wicked Witch of the West and why does Toto seem to know what the other characters can’t seem to figure out? The articles included tackle these compelling questions and more, encouraging readers to have discussions of their own.

In attempting to retain her "human" side, does Sharon really have free will? Is killing a Cylon murder or garbage disposal? These are some of the questions addressed in this thoughtful collection of writings on the philosophical underpinnings of "Battlestar Galactica."

Fifteen witty, thought-provoking essays discuss hidden issues in James Bond's world, from his carnal pleasures to his license to kill. Among the lively topics explored are Bond's relation to existentialism, his objectification of women, and more. A reference guide to all the Bond movies rounds out the book.

This volume looks at the deeper issues raised by "The Lord of the Rings" such as: can political power be wielded for good, or must it always corrupt? Does technology destroy the truly human? Is it morally wrong to give up hope? and Can we find meaning in chance events?

The cult sci-fi movie, "The Matrix", presented a fake world made of nothing but perceptions. This text contains 20 essays on philosophical problems raised by the film, which focus on the issue, "Can we be sure the world is really there, and if not, what should we do about it?".

Fifteen philosophers representing different schools of thought answer the questions 'what is Woody Allen trying to say in his films? And why should anyone care?' The essays explore the philosophical undertones and remind us that just because the universe is meaningless and life is pointless is no reason to commit suicide.

In 'Harry Potter and Philosophy', 17 philosophical experts unlock some of Hogwarts' secret panels, and uncover surprising insights that are enlightening both for wizards and the most discerning muggles.