Books in the Popular Culture and Philosophy series

Shows readers that the swift ascent of the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons to worldwide popularity event in popular culture since the invention of the motion picture. This title explores what D&D has to teach us about ethics and about how results from philosophical study of morality that can enrich and transform the game itself.

Bringing together two high-powered pastimes - the sport of baseball and the academic discipline of philosophy - Eric Bronson asks 18 young professors to provide their profound analysis of some aspect of baseball. The results offer surprisingly deep insights into this most American of games.

Although Dexter Morgan kills only killers, he is not a vigilante but a charming psychopath. His gory appetite is controlled by 'Harry's Code', which limits his victims to those who have gotten away with murder, and his job as a blood-spatter expert for the Miami police department gives him the inside track on those targets.

"Inception", starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is the one of the most philosophical and disturbing movie since "The Matrix". The very idea that our dreams and reality are one and the same has caused many sleepless nights and deep, vexing conversations around the world. This title examines the complicated dream theme from various angles.

Martial arts and philosophy have always gone hand in hand, as well as fist in throat. Philosophical argument is closely paralleled with hand-to-hand combat. And all of today’s Asian martial arts were developed to embody and apply philosophical ideas. In his interview with Bodidharma, Graham Priest brings out aspects of Buddhist philosophy behind Shaolin Kung-Fu — how fighting monks are seeking Buddhahood, not brawls. But as Scott Farrell’s chapter reveals, Eastern martial arts have no monopoly on philosophical traditions: Western chivalry is an education in and living revival of Aristotelian ethical theories. Several chapters look at ethical problems raised by the fighting arts. How can the sweaty and brutal be exquisitely beautiful? Every chapter is easily understandable by readers new to martial arts or new to philosophy.

What does it really mean to be a football fan (and why should we count Aristotle as one)? Why do great players such as Cristiano Ronaldo count as great artists? This title explores the complex and often hidden contours of the world's most popular game.

Explores what Facebook means for us and for our relationships. This title discusses issues ranging from the nature of friendship and its relationship to 'friending', to the efficacy of 'online activism'.

World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role playing game. It causes more and more real world events, as people marry individuals they have met in the game, and real-world financial markets thrive in virtual WoW property. This book offers an exploration of the thrilling, addictive world of online videogames.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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?".

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.