Mark Twain and philosophy / edited by Alan H. Goldman.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Goldman, Alan H., 1945- editor.

Series:

Great authors & philosophy

Great authors and philosophy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Twain, Mark, 1835-1910--Philosophy.

Twain, Mark.

Twain, Mark, 1835-1910--Criticism and interpretation.

Twain, Mark, 1835-1910.

Philosophy in literature.

Philosophy.

Criticism and interpretation.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xiv, 247 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2017]

Summary:

"Mark Twain, the “Father of American Literature,” and renowned humorist, satirist, and commentator on humanity and American life, is best known for his classic, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain's body of work, however, is expansive; from Adventures of Tom Sawyer and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court to the travelogue The Innocents Abroad and essays on human nature, religion, science, and literature, no aspect of life is left untouched by Twain. His portrayal of American life, ripe with the contradictions of America's ideals and its actual practices, as well as his characters, at once fantastical and completely human, provide a window onto humanity and social life. As the third book in the Great Authors and Philosophy series, Mark Twain and Philosophy reveals deeper issues raised by Twain's work and speaks to his continued relevance as a social commentator interrogating issues fundamental to our lives. From slavery, freedom, and human rights, to science, parapsychology, and religion, this book exposes how Twain's body of work touches every corner of human experience." --Publisher description.

Contents:

Part I Morality in Huckleberry Finn

Chapter 1 The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn / Jonathan Bennett Bennett, Jonathan 3

Chapter 2 Huckleberry Finn and Moral Motivation / Alan H. Goldman Goldman, Alan H. 15

Chapter 3 Sympathy, Principles, and Conscience: Getting to the Heart of Huck Finn's Moral Praiseworthiness / Robert Fudge Fudge, Robert 30

Chapter 4 Huckleberry Finn's Struggle between Sympathy and Moral Principle Reconsidered / Michael Lyons Lyons, Michael 40

Chapter 5 Twain's Last Laugh / Kristina Gehrman Gehrman, Kristina 52

Part II Twain on Religion

Chapter 6 The Gospel According to Mark (Twain) / Craig Vasey Vasey, Craig 67

Chapter 7 Mark Twain and the Problem of Evil: The Mysterious Stranger, Letters from the Earth, and The Diaries of Adam and Eve / James M. McLachlan McLachlan, James M. 80

Part III Moral Issues

Chapter 8 The Noble Art of Lying / James Edwin Mahon Mahon, James Edwin 95

Chapter 9 Twain's Critique of Human Exceptionahsm: "The Descent of Man" and the Antivivisection Movement / Emily E. VanDette VanDette, Emily E. 112

Part IV Literary Devices

Chapter 10 Mark Twain's Serious Humor and That Peculiar Institution: Christianity / Chris A. Kramer Kramer, Chris A. 125

Chapter 11 Socratic Irony in Twain's Skeptical Religious Jeremiads / Dale Jacquette Jacquette, Dale 137

Part V Comparison to Other Philosophers

Chapter 12 The American Diogenes: Mark Twain's Sacred Profanity / Brian Earl Johnson Johnson, Brian Earl 151

Chapter 13 An Epicurean Consideration of Superstitions in Mark Twain and in the Good Life / Jennifer Baker Baker, Jennifer 169

Chapter 14 Moral Value and Moral Psychology in Twain's "Carnival of Crime" / Frank Boardman Boardman, Frank 181

Chapter 15 Making the Heart Grow Fonder: Twain, Psychical Distance, and Aesthetic Experience / Jeffrey Dueck Dueck, Jeffrey 192.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-231) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Mark Twain and philosophy

ISBN:

9781442261716

1442261714

OCLC:

971927803