Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts [Paperback]

David Baggett (Editor), Shawn E. Klein (Editor), William Irwin (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Popular Culture and Philosophy

Harry Potter has put a spell on millions of readers, and they all want to find out more about the deeper meaning of his adventures. In Harry Potter and Philosophy, 17 experts in the field of philosophy unlock some of Hogwarts' secret panels, uncovering surprising insights that are enlightening both for wizards and for the most discerning muggles. Individual chapters look at such topics as life revealed in the Mirror of Erised; the ethics of magic; Moaning Myrtle, Nearly Headless Nick, and the relation of the mind to the brain; and the character of Hermione as a case of "sublimated feminism." Also examined in this witty collection are how Aristotle would have run a school for wizards; whether the Potter stories undermine religion and morality; how to tell good people from evil ones through the characters in these novels; and what dementors and boggarts can teach readers about happiness, fear, and the soul.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Baggett is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at King's College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He has published many scholarly articles on ethics and philosophy of religion. Shawn Klein is Faculty Associate in Philosophy at Arizona State University. Tom Morris, who contributes a chapter on "If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts," is a nationally known inspirational and business speaker, and best-selling author of True Success, if Aristotle Ran General Motors, and Philosophy for Dummies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Open Court; First Edition edition (September 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812694554
• ISBN-13: 978-0812694550
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > History & Criticism
  • #28 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > History & Criticism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise, entertaining, and practical reading!, September 18, 2005

By 

Charissa R. Potts (Harper Woods, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (Paperback)

I am a philosophy major turned law student. It has been almost three years since my last philosophy class, and I am more than a little rusty on what I learned in college in my philosophy classes.

This book was fabulous! Using the Potter series as a springboard, Baggett's book explores disparate philosophical topics in a lucid, precise, and interesting manner. The book is separated into sixteen short essays that average about 7-10 pages. Each essay covers a different philosophical topic and illustrates its point by using examples from the Potter series. The essays are remarkably palatable and easy to read--I found that I could enjoy an essay before bed or on a short car trip.

Each essay is entertaining and educational. Want to know about Aristotilean ethics? Read Steve Patterson's essay on Ambition. There are also essays covering feminism, racial discrimination, and morality.

I would highly recommend this book to all readers, whether they're professional philosophers, armchair philosophers, or avid Potter fans. Where else can you gain a rudimentary understanding of the philosophy of Space and Time in just over thirteen pages?

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new interest in philosophy, May 14, 2005

By 

Chulis "CC" (MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (Paperback)

I loved this book!! It taught me so much about philosophy. I learned about what Aristotle says about friendship, about the relationship between good and evil, how I can build courage, how science in our world parallels magic in Harry's, why ambition can be good, reasons why criticisms of the Potter books are so often misguided, and so much more! I've loved Harry Potter for a long time, and could tell the authors did too, but I never realized how so many interesting points can be raised by the books. I especially enjoyed the essays dealing with space, time, different realities, and free will and foreknowledge. This book made me laugh and it made me excited about philosophy by making so many issues understandable with examples from the Harry Potter books. I highly recommend it, what great fun!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Excuse to Enjoy Harry Potter as an Adult, June 4, 2007

By 

Angela Allen (Springville, UT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (Paperback)

I very much enjoyed reading "Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts". As one who reads the Potter books mostly for the escapism, it was interesting to have the help of professional philosophers help me delve into the deeper meanings contained in the books. This book also helped me to appreciate JKR's talent even more. I believe she must have more than a cursery knowledge of philosophy herself. My favorite essays were "Feminism and Equal Opportunity:Herminone and the Women of Hogwarts", "Heaven, Hell and Harry Potter" "Magic,Muggles and Moral Imagination" and "The Prophecy-Driven Life: Foreknowledge and Freedom at Hogwarts" All of the essays had at least one "ah HA" moment where the brain went into high gear and really started purring. The essay "Space, Time and Magic" caused the usual brain cramp that all time travel conundrums do and I enjoyed it as much as I always enjoy such discussions with the addition that new concepts were introduced of which I had previously been unaware. I was not aquainted with the terms "tensed" and "tenseless" time. This book is probably not for the expert philosopher as these concepts will be basics but for someone of my experience (almost none) studying philosophy,it was a great read. Just like a good movie, don't leave before the credits are done; the bios at the end are amusing.