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Now available! The Wheel of Time and Philosophy
“The Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten…” Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time is a story of mythic proportions, following Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, as he marches toward Tarmon Gai’don, the last battle between the forces of good and evil. Male and Female ‘channelers’ wield complementary halves…
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Creepers, Colonies, and Clones: The Philosophy of Mickey 17
Creepers, Colonies and Clones: The Philosophy of Mickey 17 Joshua Jowitt and Zoe Tongue For those who haven’t yet seen it, Mickey 17 is the latest release from South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, based on the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. The movie is a science-fiction black comedy about two hustlers, Mickey and Timo, who join a space colonisation mission in order to escape loan sharks on…

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Is Downton Abbey Reactionary?
Is Downton Abbey Reactionary? Janelle Pötzsch For many people, the popular British TV-series Downton Abbey (2010-2015) is a deeply conservative text which celebrates the social stratification of a bygone-era (Byrne 2015, Layne 2020, Robison 2020). Such interpretation suggests itself especially in the comparison between the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley with Isobel Crawley, mother of the…
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Severance and Philosophy
Severance and Philosophy Call for Abstracts Edited by Eric Bronson and Jason T. Eberl The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series Please circulate and post widely. Apologies for cross-posting. To propose ideas for future volumes in the Blackwell series please contact the Series Editor, William Irwin, at [email protected] Severance is a highly popular and critically acclaimed…
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Shōgun and the Philosophy of Deception
Shōgun and the Philosophy of Deception Edwardo Pérez FX Productions’ award winning 2024 adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 novel, Shōgun (which streams on Disney+ and Hulu), dramatizes many philosophical issues—from the moral issues involving duty and the greater good depicted through the subtleties of Japanese culture, and the various codes of honor observed through rituals, especially the…
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The Last of Us and Philosophy Podcast
Listen to Joshua Horn, editor of The Last of Us and Philosophy, discussing the book on the ProfNoctis podcast.
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Black Sabbath and Existentialism
The essay below originally appears as Chapter of Black Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering Reality. Beyond Good and Evil Facing your Demons with Black Sabbath and Existentialism William Irwin You know about the lost Black Sabbath album, right? They recorded it with Ozzy in 1999, but legal battles kept it from being released. It was supposed to be called Beyond Good and Evil. Here’s the track…
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Suicide and Redemption
Suicide and Redemption: James Sunderland’s Quest for Meaning in Life in the Streets of Silent Hill 2 Franlu Vulliermet Silent Hill 2 tells the story of James Sunderland, who returns to Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his dead wife, Mary, telling him she is awaiting him there in “their special place.” Following James, torn between disbelief and the hope of finding his wife, the player…
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The Witcher, the Law of Surprise, and Free Will
The essay below originally appears as Chapter 6 of The Witcher and Philosophy, edited by Matthew Brake and Kevin S. Decker. Compatibilism and the Law of Surprise: Myth, Free Will, Destiny, and Hedgehogs Shane J. Ralston “The Law of Surprise is a law as old as humanity itself. The law dictates that a man saved by another is expected to offer his savior a boon whose nature is unknown to one or both…
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Graduate Student Conference
Graduate Student Conference Pop Culture and Philosophy Keynote Speaker: William Irwin, King’s College The graduate students of the UAlbany Philosophy department are proud to announce that the topic of The 17th Annual UAPA Grad Student Conference is Pop Culture and Philosophy. All are invited and the conference is open to the public. If you have special accessibility questions or require…
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Now available! Joker and Philosophy
A philosophical exploration of Joker and the meaning of the iconic antagonist’s murderous escapades A diabolically sinister but clownish villain, Joker is a symbolically rich and philosophically fascinating character. Both crazed and cunning, sadistically cruel but seductively charming, the Clown Prince of Crime embodies everything opposed to the positive ideals of order and justice defended by…
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Nietzschean Reflections in Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant
Beyond Human Nietzschean Reflections in Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant Mitchell Provow To ground this exploration, we begin by considering Nietzsche’s reflections on creation and kinship from Twilight of the Idols (1889): “‘Why so hard?’ The kitchen coal once said to the diamond ‘After all, are we not close kin?’” This is a profound reflection on man’s relationship with his fellows. Nietzsche…
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Joker's Revenge You Get What You F****** Deserve
The essay below originally appears as Chapter 8 of Joker and Philosophy. You Get What You F****** Deserve Greg Littmann Joker: “What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash?…You get what you fucking deserve.” [Shoots Murray] There’s something satisfying about watching Joker blow out Murray’s brains. I feel a little uncomfortable…
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Is Taylor Swift a Philosopher?
The essay below appears originally as Chapter 1 in Taylor Swift and Philosophy. Is Taylor Swift a Philosopher? Catherine M. Robb After being awarded an honorary doctorate by New York University (NYU) in 2022, Taylor Swift gave a commencement speech for the graduates. During her speech Taylor spoke of the exciting challenge of figuring out who we are and who we want to be: “we are so many things,…
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D&D and Philosophy
D&D and Philosophy A Philosophical Analysis of Intelligence and Wisdom Justin Kitchen Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop roleplaying game that anyone can play using a pencil, paper, dice, and their imagination. During the game, players navigate their characters through a fantastic world to fight monsters, investigate mysteries, solve puzzles, delve into political intrigue, and hunt for…
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Inner-Circle vs The World in The Last of Us
The essay below appears as Chapter 3 of The Last of Us and Philosophy. “He Who Fights with Monsters” Inner-Circle vs The World in The Last of Us Dylan Skurka Ellie: If you don’t think there’s hope for the world, why bother going on? I mean, you gotta try, right? Joel: You haven’t seen the world, so you don’t know. Keep going for family, that’s about it. Imagine you’re a brilliant physicist,…
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A Defense of Love and Favoritism in The Last of Us
The essay below appears as Chapter 2 of The Last of Us and Philosophy. Justifying Joel: In Defense of Love and Favoritism Daniel Irwin and William Irwin “To me, he did the right thing for him,” video game and show co-creator Neil Druckman said in an interview with Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times. When explaining Joel’s decision, Druckman said, “As a parent, if I found myself in that same…
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