The ultimate Star Wars and philosophy : you must unlearn what you have learned / edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Eberl, Jason T., editor.

Decker, Kevin S., editor.

Series:

Blackwell philosophy and popculture series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Star Wars films.

Philosophy in motion pictures.

Philosophy in literature.

Physical Description:

x, 324 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Chichester, West Sussex, UK ; Malden, MA : John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2015.

Summary:

Is the Rebel Alliance a terrorist organization? What's it like to be a Jedi? Was it immoral to destroy the second Death Star? Should Jar Jar Binks be held responsible for the rise of the Empire? And how should we understand the new Star Wars? The beloved epic space opera that fed the mythic landscape of a generation and arguably invented the modern concept of media franchise - clearly, much of the world has got Star Wars under its skin. The cultural significance of phrases like "Luke, I am your father," "I've got a bad feeling about this," and "Do or do not, there is no try" aren't merely pop culture clichés; they've penetrated academia with hundreds of scholarly articles and books examining the deeper meaning of George Lucas's fantastical and philosophically rich creation. The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy presents an original set of expert essays by some of the brightest minds in the galaxy, exploring the deeper side of Star Wars and its Expanded Universe. There are new takes on familiar topics, like the nature of the Force - does it have to have a dark side? - and a feminist critique of the portrayal of women - what is the deeper meaning in being chained to a slug? We examine the philosophical significance behind the impact of Star Wars on the real world as an important artifact of pop culture, the legacy of Joseph Campbell on the saga's mythical foundation, and offer a framework for understanding just what is "canonical" in Star Wars - giving fans good reason to assert once and for all that Han shot first. With the book you hold in your hands, the circle is now complete, and those who were once learners may start on the path toward becoming philosophical masters. May the Force be with you! Book jacket.

Contents:

Episode I : the philosophical menace. The platonic paradox of Darth Plagueis : how could a sith lord be wise? / Terrance MacMullan

You are asking me to be rational : stoic philosophy and the Jedi order / Matt Hummel

The Jedi knights of faith : Anakin, Luke, and Soren (Kierkegaard) / William A. Lindenmuth

Anakin and Achilles : scars of nihilism / Don Adams

Dark times : the end of the republic and the beginning of Chinese philosophy / Kevin S. Decker

Episode II : attack of the morals. Chasing Kevin Smith: was it immoral for the rebel alliance to destroy Death Star II? / Charles C. Camosy

The ballad of Boba Fett : mercenary agency and amoralism in war / David LaRocca

How guilty is Jar Jar Binks? / Nicolas Michaud

Know the dark side : a theodicy of the force / Jason T. Eberl

Episode III: revenge of the alliance

Like my father before me : loss and redemption of fatherhood in Star Wars / Charles Taliaferro and Annika Taylor Beck

The friends of a Jedi : friendship, family, and civic duty in a galaxy at war / Greg Littmann

Light side, dark side, and switching sides : loyalty and betrayal in Star Wars / Daniel Malloy

Guardians and tyrants in the republics of Star Wars and Plato / Adam Barkman and Kyle Alkema

Episode IV : a new hermeneutic

Pregnant Padme and slave Leia : Star Wars female role models / Cole Bowman

Docile bodies and a viscous force : fear of the flesh in return of the Jedi / Jennifer L. McMahon

Of battle droids and zillo beasts : moral status in the Star Wars galaxy / James M. Okapal

Episode V : metaphysics strikes back

Why the force must have a dark side / George A. Dunn

What is it like to be a Jedi? : a life in the force / Marek McGann

Never tell me the odds : an inquiry concerning Jedi understanding / Andrew Zimmerman Jones

Episode VI : return of the non-human

Mindless philosophers and overweight globs of grease : are droids capable of thought? / Dan Burkett

Can Chewie speak? : Wittgenstein and the philosophy of language / Rhiannon Grant and Myfanwy Reynolds

Can the zillo beast strike back? : cloning, de-extinction, and the species problem / Leonard Finkelman

Episode VII : the fandom awakens

In that time in a galaxy far, far away : epic myth-understandings and myth-appropriation in Star Wars / John Thompson

Star Wars, emotions, and the paradox of fiction / Lance Belluomini

The mind of blue snaggletooth : the intentional stance, vintage Star Wars action figures, and the origins of religion / Dennis Knepp

Gospel, gossip, and Ghent : how should we understand the new Star Wars? / Roy T. Cook and Nathan Kellen.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Ultimate Star Wars and philosophy

ISBN:

9781119038061

1119038065

OCLC:

908146001