Description

Book Synopsis


Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors xi

Acknowledgments xvii

Sources xix

Introduction 1

Part I: What is Philosophy? 3

Socrates and the Spirit of Philosophy

1 Flatulence and Philosophy: A Lot of Hot Air, or the Corruption of Youth? 5
William W. Young, III

Logic and Fallacies

2 The Chewbacca Defense: A South Park Logic Lesson 14
Robert Arp

Relativism and Truth

3 Wikiality, Truthiness, and Gut Thinking: Doing Philosophy Colbert Style 23
David Kyle Johnson

Part II: Epistemology 35

Introduction 35

The Ethics of Belief

4 You Know, I Learned Something Today: Stan Marsh and the Ethics of Belief 37
Henry Jacoby

Skepticism

5 Tumbling Down the Rabbit Hole: Knowledge, Reality, and the Pit of Skepticism 44
Matt Lawrence

Definition of Knowledge

6 Adama's True Lie: Earth and the Problem of Knowledge 54
Eric J. Silverman

7 Wakandan Resources: The Epistemological Reality of Black Panther’s Fiction 62
Ruby Komic

Part III: Metaphysics 71

Introduction 71

The Nature of Reality

8 Life on a Holodeck: What Star Trek Can Teach Us About the True Nature of Reality 73
Dara Fogel

Mind and Body

9 Astral Bodies and Cartesian Souls: Mind–Body Dualism in Doctor Strange 82
Dean A. Kowalski

10 Mind and Body in Zion 90
Matt Lawrence

Personal Identity

11 Amnesia, Personal Identity, and the Many Lives of Wolverine 101
Jason Southworth

Freedom and Determinism

12 The Consolation of Bilbo: Providence and Free Will in Middle-Earth 107
Grant Sterling

13 Inception and Free Will: Are They Compatible? 115
John R. Fitzpatrick and David Kyle Johnson

Consciousness and Artificial Intelligence

14 Turing's Dream and Searle's Nightmare in Westworld 123
Lucia Carrillo González

15 What is it Like to Be a Host? 128
Bradley Richards

Time Travel

16 The Time Travel in Avengers: Endgame 136
David Kyle Johnson

Part IV: Philosophy of Religion 145

Introduction 145

The Problem of Evil

17 South Park, Cartmanland, and the Problem of Evil 147
David Kyle Johnson

The Existence of God

18 Hidden Mickeys and the Hiddenness of God 156
Robert K. Garcia and Timothy Pickavance

Faith

19 The Jedi Knights of Faith: Anakin, Luke, and Soren (Kierkegaard) 164
William A. Lindenmuth

Part V: Ethics 173

Introduction 173

Utilitarianism and Deontology

20 Why Doesn't Batman Kill the Joker? 175
Mark D. White

21 Means, Ends, and the Critique of Pure Superheroes 183
J. Robert Loftis

Virtue Ethics

22 Can Eleanor Really Become a Better Person? (The Good Place) 191
Eric J. Silverman and Zachary Swanson

Friendship

23 "You're a Sucky, Sucky Friend": Seeking Aristotelian Friendship in The Big Bang Theory 198
Dean A. Kowalski

Stoicism

24 "You Are Asking Me to Be Rational": Stoic Philosophy and the Jedi Order 207
Matt Hummel

Part VI: Challenges to Traditional Ethics 215

Introduction 215

Nietzschean Critique

25 Rediscovering Nietzsche's Ûbermensch in Superman as a Heroic Ideal 217
Arno Bogaerts

Existentialist Ethics

26 Knowing Who You Are: Existence Precedes Essence in Moana 228
William J. Devlin

Feminist Critique

27 Becoming a (Wonder) Woman: Feminism, Nationalism, and the Ambiguity of Female Identity 236
J. Lenore Wright

28 The Silence of Our Mother: Eywa as the Voice of Feminine Care Ethics (Avatar) 245
George A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud

Environmental Ethics

29 "Everything Is Backwards Now": Avatar, Anthropocentrism, and Relational Reason 253
Jeremy David Bendik-Keymer

Part VII: Social and Political Philosophy 263

Introduction 263

Social Contract Theory

30 Maester Hobbes Goes to King's Landing (Game of Thrones) 265
Greg Littmann

31 Lost's State of Nature 273
Richard Davies

Marxism

32 Federation Trekonomics: Marx, the Federation, and the Shift from Necessity to Freedom 284
Jeff Ewing

Rawls

33 Superman and Justice 292
Christopher Robichaud

Libertarianism

34 Cartman Shrugged: South Park and Libertarian Philosophy 299
Paul A. Cantor

Race

35 Ninjas, Kobe Bryant, and Yellow Plastic: The LEGO Minifigure and Race 311
Roy T. Cook

36 When Tech Meets Tradition: How Wakandan Technology Transcends Anti-Blackness 321
Timothy E. Brown

Political Manipulation

37 Black Mirror and Political Manipulation: How Are We Tricked into Dehumanizing Others? 329
Bertha Alvarez Manninen

The #MeToo Movement

38 Black Mirror and #DeathTo: What Are the Consequences of Trial by Twitter? 338
Aline Maya

Part VIII: Eastern Views 349

Introduction 349

39 The Brick, the Plate, and the Uncarved Block: LEGO as an Expression of the Dao 351
Steve Bein

40 LEGO, Impermanence, and Buddhism 359
David Kahn

41 Zen and the Art of Imagineering: Disney's Escapism Versus Buddhism's Liberation 367
Steve Bein

Part IX: The Afterlife and Meaning 375

Introduction 375

An Afterlife Gives Meaning

42 Beyond Godric's Hollow: Life After Death and the Search for Meaning (Harry Potter) 377
Jonathan L. Walls and Jerry L. Walls

An Afterlife Wouldn't Give Meaning

43 Why it Wouldn't be Rational to Believe You're in The Good Place (and Why You Wouldn't Want to Be Anyway) 384
David Kyle Johnson

Index 393

Introducing Philosophy Through Pop Culture

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    A Paperback / softback by William Irwin, David Kyle Johnson

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      Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 14/04/2022
      ISBN13: 9781119757177, 978-1119757177
      ISBN10: 1119757177
      Also in:
      Philosophy

      Description

      Book Synopsis


      Table of Contents

      Notes on Contributors xi

      Acknowledgments xvii

      Sources xix

      Introduction 1

      Part I: What is Philosophy? 3

      Socrates and the Spirit of Philosophy

      1 Flatulence and Philosophy: A Lot of Hot Air, or the Corruption of Youth? 5
      William W. Young, III

      Logic and Fallacies

      2 The Chewbacca Defense: A South Park Logic Lesson 14
      Robert Arp

      Relativism and Truth

      3 Wikiality, Truthiness, and Gut Thinking: Doing Philosophy Colbert Style 23
      David Kyle Johnson

      Part II: Epistemology 35

      Introduction 35

      The Ethics of Belief

      4 You Know, I Learned Something Today: Stan Marsh and the Ethics of Belief 37
      Henry Jacoby

      Skepticism

      5 Tumbling Down the Rabbit Hole: Knowledge, Reality, and the Pit of Skepticism 44
      Matt Lawrence

      Definition of Knowledge

      6 Adama's True Lie: Earth and the Problem of Knowledge 54
      Eric J. Silverman

      7 Wakandan Resources: The Epistemological Reality of Black Panther’s Fiction 62
      Ruby Komic

      Part III: Metaphysics 71

      Introduction 71

      The Nature of Reality

      8 Life on a Holodeck: What Star Trek Can Teach Us About the True Nature of Reality 73
      Dara Fogel

      Mind and Body

      9 Astral Bodies and Cartesian Souls: Mind–Body Dualism in Doctor Strange 82
      Dean A. Kowalski

      10 Mind and Body in Zion 90
      Matt Lawrence

      Personal Identity

      11 Amnesia, Personal Identity, and the Many Lives of Wolverine 101
      Jason Southworth

      Freedom and Determinism

      12 The Consolation of Bilbo: Providence and Free Will in Middle-Earth 107
      Grant Sterling

      13 Inception and Free Will: Are They Compatible? 115
      John R. Fitzpatrick and David Kyle Johnson

      Consciousness and Artificial Intelligence

      14 Turing's Dream and Searle's Nightmare in Westworld 123
      Lucia Carrillo González

      15 What is it Like to Be a Host? 128
      Bradley Richards

      Time Travel

      16 The Time Travel in Avengers: Endgame 136
      David Kyle Johnson

      Part IV: Philosophy of Religion 145

      Introduction 145

      The Problem of Evil

      17 South Park, Cartmanland, and the Problem of Evil 147
      David Kyle Johnson

      The Existence of God

      18 Hidden Mickeys and the Hiddenness of God 156
      Robert K. Garcia and Timothy Pickavance

      Faith

      19 The Jedi Knights of Faith: Anakin, Luke, and Soren (Kierkegaard) 164
      William A. Lindenmuth

      Part V: Ethics 173

      Introduction 173

      Utilitarianism and Deontology

      20 Why Doesn't Batman Kill the Joker? 175
      Mark D. White

      21 Means, Ends, and the Critique of Pure Superheroes 183
      J. Robert Loftis

      Virtue Ethics

      22 Can Eleanor Really Become a Better Person? (The Good Place) 191
      Eric J. Silverman and Zachary Swanson

      Friendship

      23 "You're a Sucky, Sucky Friend": Seeking Aristotelian Friendship in The Big Bang Theory 198
      Dean A. Kowalski

      Stoicism

      24 "You Are Asking Me to Be Rational": Stoic Philosophy and the Jedi Order 207
      Matt Hummel

      Part VI: Challenges to Traditional Ethics 215

      Introduction 215

      Nietzschean Critique

      25 Rediscovering Nietzsche's Ûbermensch in Superman as a Heroic Ideal 217
      Arno Bogaerts

      Existentialist Ethics

      26 Knowing Who You Are: Existence Precedes Essence in Moana 228
      William J. Devlin

      Feminist Critique

      27 Becoming a (Wonder) Woman: Feminism, Nationalism, and the Ambiguity of Female Identity 236
      J. Lenore Wright

      28 The Silence of Our Mother: Eywa as the Voice of Feminine Care Ethics (Avatar) 245
      George A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud

      Environmental Ethics

      29 "Everything Is Backwards Now": Avatar, Anthropocentrism, and Relational Reason 253
      Jeremy David Bendik-Keymer

      Part VII: Social and Political Philosophy 263

      Introduction 263

      Social Contract Theory

      30 Maester Hobbes Goes to King's Landing (Game of Thrones) 265
      Greg Littmann

      31 Lost's State of Nature 273
      Richard Davies

      Marxism

      32 Federation Trekonomics: Marx, the Federation, and the Shift from Necessity to Freedom 284
      Jeff Ewing

      Rawls

      33 Superman and Justice 292
      Christopher Robichaud

      Libertarianism

      34 Cartman Shrugged: South Park and Libertarian Philosophy 299
      Paul A. Cantor

      Race

      35 Ninjas, Kobe Bryant, and Yellow Plastic: The LEGO Minifigure and Race 311
      Roy T. Cook

      36 When Tech Meets Tradition: How Wakandan Technology Transcends Anti-Blackness 321
      Timothy E. Brown

      Political Manipulation

      37 Black Mirror and Political Manipulation: How Are We Tricked into Dehumanizing Others? 329
      Bertha Alvarez Manninen

      The #MeToo Movement

      38 Black Mirror and #DeathTo: What Are the Consequences of Trial by Twitter? 338
      Aline Maya

      Part VIII: Eastern Views 349

      Introduction 349

      39 The Brick, the Plate, and the Uncarved Block: LEGO as an Expression of the Dao 351
      Steve Bein

      40 LEGO, Impermanence, and Buddhism 359
      David Kahn

      41 Zen and the Art of Imagineering: Disney's Escapism Versus Buddhism's Liberation 367
      Steve Bein

      Part IX: The Afterlife and Meaning 375

      Introduction 375

      An Afterlife Gives Meaning

      42 Beyond Godric's Hollow: Life After Death and the Search for Meaning (Harry Potter) 377
      Jonathan L. Walls and Jerry L. Walls

      An Afterlife Wouldn't Give Meaning

      43 Why it Wouldn't be Rational to Believe You're in The Good Place (and Why You Wouldn't Want to Be Anyway) 384
      David Kyle Johnson

      Index 393

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