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.
The Simpsons and Philosophy
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No doubt Aristotle just rolled over in his grave on the release of The Simpsons and Philosophy. An essay called "Homer and Aristotle" would appear to be a treatise on two ancient Greek thinkers; in this case, it is a depiction of Homer Simpson's Aristotelian virtues. Raja Halwani's "Homeric" essay is amusing though and moreover it actually ends up being enlightening, especially for those just learning Aristotle's ethics. Bart may be a Nietzschean without knowing it, Mr Burns is a cipher for unhappiness (except when he eats "so-called 'iced-cream'"), and Ned Flanders raises questions about neighbourly love. The book has a lot to say about the Simpsons and even more to say about philosophy.
The Simpsons and Philosophy collects 18 essays into an unpretentious, tongue-in-cheek and surprisingly intelligent look at philosophy through the lens of Matt Groening's vaunted animated series. The editors are quick to point out that they don't think "The Simpsons is the equivalent of history's best works of literature--but it nevertheless is just deep enough and certainly funny enough, to warrant serious attention". The writers of the book are mostly professional philosophers and they are appropriately erudite. But what is truly astonishing, even for a confessed Simpsons addict, is their breadth of Simpsons knowledge, spanning all 12 seasons of the show's history. The Simpsons and Philosophy is obviously not intended to be a turning point in modern thought but it is an excellent introduction to some core elements of philosophy. --Eric de Place
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Homer Simpson does not fare well when evaluated morally. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Homer Simpson does not fare well when evaluated morally. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
i bought this book off amazon as a kind of study guide. in my third year at uni i found myself having to tackle new philisophical problems and decided to buy some literature on amazon. i came across this book, and as a big fan of the simpsons, i decided to buy it.
it has been more helpful than the other philosphy books i bought, it identifies characters as examples of theories and makes it plain and simple, something that other books don't do.
it is a wicked interesting read, for fans of the simpsons and for philosophy students, constantly interestng too, and with quotes and examples from the show's characters you'll find yourself laughing as much as you did when you first saw the show....
it has been more helpful than the other philosphy books i bought, it identifies characters as examples of theories and makes it plain and simple, something that other books don't do.
it is a wicked interesting read, for fans of the simpsons and for philosophy students, constantly interestng too, and with quotes and examples from the show's characters you'll find yourself laughing as much as you did when you first saw the show....
23 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book does a lot to help make The Simpsons become a recognisable and serious participant in the study of popular culture. We are introduced to many philosophers and theories that might be alien to the casual reader, but because the authors of the essays use the characters and themes from the cartoon series so well all is made clear about what sometimes can be a very dry and complicated subject. I recommend this book to anyone interested in how modern culture fits in with the more traditional subjects such as philosophy, history, and politics.
10 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By "stee101"
Format:Paperback
I was given this book as a joke. Some thing that I'd never read. But when I did I really got into it. Who new that you could write an essay on Homer's admirable Qualities or whether Bart is the Nietchen Ideal.
But these Philosophers have proved all the scepticists wrong with a really good book.
It is a compilation of Essays done by various people looking at the different simpsons characters and discussing them in a truly intersting way.
Simpsons fan's should buy this book as it is really intersting to read about your favourite fictional Characters this way. Philosophers shhould buy this book as it is different to see all this knowledge applied to a TV cartoon.
In short, Buy this book!
But these Philosophers have proved all the scepticists wrong with a really good book.
It is a compilation of Essays done by various people looking at the different simpsons characters and discussing them in a truly intersting way.
Simpsons fan's should buy this book as it is really intersting to read about your favourite fictional Characters this way. Philosophers shhould buy this book as it is different to see all this knowledge applied to a TV cartoon.
In short, Buy this book!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
HATE HIS CRAP
i am a reall fan of the simpsons but this book is crap i mean i thought that it is a comic but it was not I RECOMMEND THAT YOU MONEY DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE WASTED
Published 2 months ago by robert
5.0 out of 5 stars
the simpsons
i loved this book is was also quiet intresting and i actually really liked this book because i am a big fan of the Simpson's and my favorite character is homer and bart but also... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Robert
3.0 out of 5 stars
If you want a good excuse for watching the Simpsons...
Will this book make you watch The Simpsons in a different light? Perhaps. Most probably, if you read this book you will be aware of the postmodern and ironic position that The... Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2004 by Dr. Emily S. Ryall
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