A light-hearted introduction to philosophy through the antics of the Simpsons, television's animated family. These essays on the silly, absurd, hyper-ironic and strangely philosophical world that is Springfield - the town without a state - explore philosophy and the major philosophers of Western thought: is Bart a pragmatist? Why is Mr Burn's quest for happiness continually frustrated? The contributors discuss the thought of key philosophers including Aristotle, Marx, Camus, Sartre, Heidegger and Kant, and tackle issues like irony and the meaning of life, American anti-intellectualism, and existential rebellion. The volume also includes an episode guide and a chronology of philosophers which gives the names and dates of the major thinkers in the history of philosophy, accompanied by a representative quote from each.
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A keen read for those interested in delving into philosophy with a simpsons twist. Most essays were well-written and thought out. This will make you ponder differently on every Simpsons episode you see after reading
Not being a great fan of The Simpsons, I put of reading "The Simpsons and Philosophy" for quite some time. It is something I regret, as I really enjoyed the book and gained a lot from it.
The book presents eighteen essays on a variety of topics, all using the animated television series "The Simpsons" as a departure point. The topics range from Nietzsche's ideas on humans, right through to Aristotelian virtue. Ethics also gets a big chunk, with viewpoints taken from Marge, Mr Burns, Flanders and others. What the book ends up doing is giving a rich variety of discussions on different aspects that come up in "The Simpsons".
Perhaps what amazed me the most was the level of allusion used in the Simpsons and what this means for the audience in general. I had no idea that so much could be perceived from watching the Simpsons with a knowing eye for the details.
This book is a great addition to those who are interested in popular culture and the philosophical side of it. If philosophy daunts you, fear not. The language and style are very accessible to anyone, with good clarification offered where needed. I had a great time reading this book, and it provided a lot of food for thought.
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