Philosophy and the Interpretation of Pop Culture [Hardcover]

William Irwin (Editor), Jorge J.E. Gracia (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0742551741 | ISBN-13: 978-0742551749 | Publication Date: November 27, 2006

Aristotle analyzed the popular art of his time: the tragedies and epics. Why should philosophers today not do likewise? Perhaps we can learn something from children's stories by subverting the dominant paradigm of adult authority and admitting with Socrates that we don't know all the answers. Perhaps Batman has ethical lessons to teach that generalize beyond the pages of comic books. Is it better to like Mozart than it is to like Madonna? Kurt Cobain gave voice to the attitude of a generation, singing, 'Here we are, now entertain us.' Is entertainment a bad thing, or could it actually have value-and not just instrumental value?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Whether we call it popular culture or mass art, there's plenty of people who think it's like junk food -- bad for you. This collection by top scholars makes a strong case that there's not just some nourishment mixed in there, but even some entries worth savoring. Popular culture can educate, arouse emotions, ponder philosophy, and make esoteric allusions that reward aesthetic attention. (Cynthia A. Freeland )

The variety of approaches and depth of insight in this diverse set of essays makes this volume required reading for all those interested in taking philosophy out of the ivory tower. (Thomas Wartenberg )

The analysis of popular culture is a booming industry. Blogs, VH1, The New York Times, heady academic conferences devoted to Buffy the Vampire Slayer: in contrast to a generation ago, it seems that everyone today is taking popular culture seriously. Some of the most insightful observations are coming from philosophers whose work can be found in this book, a rollicking collection of essays that demonstrates how useful philosophy can be in illuminating the products of mass culture. (Robert Thompson )

The collection is fun. This book will be interesting to aestheticians and people who have been watching the popular culture and philosophy trend closely. (Metapsychology Online )

A welcome addition to the ever-growing pile of books on philosophy and popular culture. (Journal Of Aesthetic Education )

For too long, philosophers have marginalized or even ignored mass culture. This engaging anthology, which is erudite and readable, sometimes provocative but often very funny, will decisively change the way that mass culture is understood. So go for it! (David Carrier )

About the Author

William Irwin is associate professor of philosophy at King's College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Jorge J. E. Gracia is Samuel P. Capen Chair and SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy at SUNY-Buffalo. He is the author of Surviving Race, Ethinicity, and Nationality (2005).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (November 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742551741
• ISBN-13: 978-0742551749
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,434,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Irwin is professor of Philosophy and Director of the Honors Program at King's college, Pennsylvania. Irwin's first book, Intentionalist Interpretation: A Philosophical Explanation and Defense (1999), was nominated for the American Philosophical Association Young Scholar's Book Prize. Irwin is best known for having originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books with Seinfeld and Philosophy (1999), The Simpsons and Philosophy (2001), and The Matrix and Philosophy (2002). He was editor of these books and then General Editor of the Popular Culture and Philosophy Series through Open Court Publishing. In 2006, Irwin left Open Court to become the General Editor of The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, which includes Metallica and Philosophy (2007), among other volumes. Irwin first theorized the philosophy and pop culture genre in his article "Philosophy as/and/of Popular Culture" in Irwin and Gracia eds. Philosophy and the Interpretation of Popular Culture (2006).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book!, February 17, 2007

By 

David Baggett (kingston, pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philosophy and the Interpretation of Pop Culture (Paperback)

The intersection between philosophy and popular culture has received a lot of attention in recent years, and for good reason. There are now at least three book series devoted to it, a trend that has been met with both enthusiasm and skepticism. This wonderful scholarly collection of essays written by such important and well-known philosophers as Gareth Matthews, Carolyn Korsmeyer, Noel Carroll, Ted Cohen, Jorge Gracia, and Peter Hare (to name but a few) should help enable the naysayers see the value of riding the waves of pop culture to discuss important questions. In my experience it's not generally been philosophers who lament such an enterprise; usually the actual philosophers are among the happiest to see the questions and issues of philosophy receive a bigger hearing, in the hopes that, once engaged, more and more people will continue down the path of thinking hard about questions that matter. Those who tend to be most skeptical are usually nonphilosophers whose vision of philosophy somehow excludes its association with anything so crass as popular movies or television shows. Whatever the virtues of their elevated view of philosophy, they need to be disabused of the idea that philosophy must be confined inside the walls of academia, or that philosophy has nothing to gain from pop culture, and if any book can do it, this one can. Highly recommended, for the enthusiasts and skeptics alike!