Description

Book Synopsis

A philosophical exploration of J.R.R. Tolkien''s beloved classicjust in time for the December 2012 release of Peter Jackson''s new film adaptation, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

J.R.R. Tolkien''s The Hobbit is one of the best-loved fantasy books of all time and the enchanting prequel to The Lord of the Rings. With the help of some of history''s great philosophers, this book ponders a host of deep questions raised in this timeless tale, such as: Are adventures simply nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things that make you late for dinner, or are they exciting and potentially life-changing events? What duties do friends have to one another? Should mercy be extended even to those who deserve to die?

  • Gives you new insights into The Hobbit''s central characters, including Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, Gollum, and Thorin and their exploits, from the Shire through Mirkwood to the Lonely Mountain
  • Explores key questions about The

    Trade Review

    "The value in this approach, of course, is that these essays are simple; they are incredibly short (each runs about five pages), and they are clear and accessible." (Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 1 February 2015)

    "Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson's anthology of essays, 'The Hobbit and Philosophy', may have an overblown title, but the authors do a good job of focusing on themes like possessiveness, providence and free will, courage and decision-making." (The Times Literary Supplement, 21 December 2012)



    Table of Contents

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thag You Very Buch x

    Introduction: Never Laugh at Live Philosophers 1
    Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson

    PART ONE DISCOVER YOUR INNER TOOK

    1 The Adventurous Hobbit 7
    Gregory Bassham

    2 “The Road Goes Ever On and On”: A Hobbit’s Tao 20
    Michael C. Brannigan

    3 Big Hairy Feet: A Hobbit’s Guide to Enlightenment 32
    Eric Bronson

    4 Bilbo Baggins: The Cosmopolitan Hobbit 45
    Dennis Knepp

    PART TWO THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE SLIMY

    5 The Glory of Bilbo Baggins 61
    Charles Taliaferro and Craig Lindahl-Urben

    6 Pride and Humility in The Hobbit 74
    Laura Garcia

    7 “My Precious”: Tolkien on the Perils of Possessiveness 90
    Anna Minore and Gregory Bassham

    8 Tolkien’s Just War 103
    David Kyle Johnson

    9 “Pretty Fair Nonsense”: Art and Beauty in The Hobbit 118
    Philip Tallon

    10 Hobbitus Ludens: Why Hobbits Like to Play and Why We Should, Too 129
    David L. O’Hara

    PART THREE RIDDLES AND RINGS

    11 “The Lord of Magic and Machines”: Tolkien on Magic and Technology 147
    W. Christopher Stewart

    12 Inside The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins and the Paradox of Fiction 161
    Amy Kind

    13 Philosophy in the Dark: The Hobbit and Hermeneutics 176
    Tom Grimwood

    PART FOUR BEING THERE AND BACK AGAIN

    14 Some Hobbits Have All the Luck 193
    Randall M. Jensen

    15 The Consolation of Bilbo: Providence and Free Will in Middle-Earth 206
    Grant Sterling

    16 Out of the Frying Pan: Courage and Decision Making in Wilderland 218
    Jamie Carlin Watson

    17 There and Back Again: A Song of Innocence and Experience 235
    Joe Kraus

    CONTRIBUTORS: Our Most Excellent and Audacious Contributors 251

    INDEX: The Moon Letters 257

The Hobbit and Philosophy

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    A Paperback / softback by William Irwin, Gregory Bassham, Eric Bronson


      View other formats and editions of The Hobbit and Philosophy by William Irwin

      Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
      Publication Date: 19/10/2012
      ISBN13: 9780470405147, 978-0470405147
      ISBN10: 0470405147
      Also in:
      Philosophy

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      A philosophical exploration of J.R.R. Tolkien''s beloved classicjust in time for the December 2012 release of Peter Jackson''s new film adaptation, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

      J.R.R. Tolkien''s The Hobbit is one of the best-loved fantasy books of all time and the enchanting prequel to The Lord of the Rings. With the help of some of history''s great philosophers, this book ponders a host of deep questions raised in this timeless tale, such as: Are adventures simply nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things that make you late for dinner, or are they exciting and potentially life-changing events? What duties do friends have to one another? Should mercy be extended even to those who deserve to die?

      • Gives you new insights into The Hobbit''s central characters, including Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, Gollum, and Thorin and their exploits, from the Shire through Mirkwood to the Lonely Mountain
      • Explores key questions about The

        Trade Review

        "The value in this approach, of course, is that these essays are simple; they are incredibly short (each runs about five pages), and they are clear and accessible." (Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 1 February 2015)

        "Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson's anthology of essays, 'The Hobbit and Philosophy', may have an overblown title, but the authors do a good job of focusing on themes like possessiveness, providence and free will, courage and decision-making." (The Times Literary Supplement, 21 December 2012)



        Table of Contents

        ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thag You Very Buch x

        Introduction: Never Laugh at Live Philosophers 1
        Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson

        PART ONE DISCOVER YOUR INNER TOOK

        1 The Adventurous Hobbit 7
        Gregory Bassham

        2 “The Road Goes Ever On and On”: A Hobbit’s Tao 20
        Michael C. Brannigan

        3 Big Hairy Feet: A Hobbit’s Guide to Enlightenment 32
        Eric Bronson

        4 Bilbo Baggins: The Cosmopolitan Hobbit 45
        Dennis Knepp

        PART TWO THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE SLIMY

        5 The Glory of Bilbo Baggins 61
        Charles Taliaferro and Craig Lindahl-Urben

        6 Pride and Humility in The Hobbit 74
        Laura Garcia

        7 “My Precious”: Tolkien on the Perils of Possessiveness 90
        Anna Minore and Gregory Bassham

        8 Tolkien’s Just War 103
        David Kyle Johnson

        9 “Pretty Fair Nonsense”: Art and Beauty in The Hobbit 118
        Philip Tallon

        10 Hobbitus Ludens: Why Hobbits Like to Play and Why We Should, Too 129
        David L. O’Hara

        PART THREE RIDDLES AND RINGS

        11 “The Lord of Magic and Machines”: Tolkien on Magic and Technology 147
        W. Christopher Stewart

        12 Inside The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins and the Paradox of Fiction 161
        Amy Kind

        13 Philosophy in the Dark: The Hobbit and Hermeneutics 176
        Tom Grimwood

        PART FOUR BEING THERE AND BACK AGAIN

        14 Some Hobbits Have All the Luck 193
        Randall M. Jensen

        15 The Consolation of Bilbo: Providence and Free Will in Middle-Earth 206
        Grant Sterling

        16 Out of the Frying Pan: Courage and Decision Making in Wilderland 218
        Jamie Carlin Watson

        17 There and Back Again: A Song of Innocence and Experience 235
        Joe Kraus

        CONTRIBUTORS: Our Most Excellent and Audacious Contributors 251

        INDEX: The Moon Letters 257

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