True Detective and Philosophy
A Deeper Kind of Darkness
1st Edition
Published on 3. November 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-119-28078-1 (ISBN)
Description
Investigating the trail of philosophical leads in HBO's chilling True Detective series, an elite team of philosophers examine far-reaching riddles including human pessimism, Rust's anti-natalism, the problem of evil, and the 'flat circle'.
The first book dedicated to exploring the far-reaching philosophical questions behind the darkly complex and Emmy-nominated HBO True Detective series
Explores in a fun but insightful way the rich philosophical and existential experiences that arise from this gripping show
Gives new perspectives on the characters in the series, its storylines, and its themes by investigating core questions such as: Why Life Rather Than Death? Cosmic Horror and Hopeful Pessimism, the Illusion of Self, Noir, Tragedy, Philosopher-Detectives, and much, much more
Draws together an elite team of philosophers to shine new light on why this genre-expanding show has inspired such a fervently questioning fan-base
The first book dedicated to exploring the far-reaching philosophical questions behind the darkly complex and Emmy-nominated HBO True Detective series
Explores in a fun but insightful way the rich philosophical and existential experiences that arise from this gripping show
Gives new perspectives on the characters in the series, its storylines, and its themes by investigating core questions such as: Why Life Rather Than Death? Cosmic Horror and Hopeful Pessimism, the Illusion of Self, Noir, Tragedy, Philosopher-Detectives, and much, much more
Draws together an elite team of philosophers to shine new light on why this genre-expanding show has inspired such a fervently questioning fan-base
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Hoboken
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 151 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
291 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-119-28078-1 (9781119280781)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
09/2017
Wiley-Blackwell
€11.99
Available for download
E-Book
08/2017
Wiley-Blackwell
€11.99
Available for download
Persons
Jacob Graham is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia. His research focuses on ancient and modern philosophy, as well the value of philosophy in popular culture.
Tom Sparrow is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania. His primary research is in continental philosophy and phenomenology. His recent publications include Plastic Bodies (2015) and The End of Phenomenology (2014).
William Irwin (series editor) is Herve A. LeBlanc Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Philosophy at King's College in Pennsylvania. Irwin originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books with Seinfeld and Philosophy in 1999 and is the General Editor of The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series. He has overseen recent titles including The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy, Wonder Woman and Philosophy, and Alien and Philosophy.
Tom Sparrow is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania. His primary research is in continental philosophy and phenomenology. His recent publications include Plastic Bodies (2015) and The End of Phenomenology (2014).
William Irwin (series editor) is Herve A. LeBlanc Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Philosophy at King's College in Pennsylvania. Irwin originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books with Seinfeld and Philosophy in 1999 and is the General Editor of The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series. He has overseen recent titles including The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy, Wonder Woman and Philosophy, and Alien and Philosophy.
Content
Introduction: Welcome to the Psychosphere ix
Jacob Graham and Tom Sparrow
Part I "It's All One Ghetto, Man ... a Giant Gutter in Outer Space": Pessimism and Anti-natalism 1
1 Why Life Rather than Death? Answers from Rustin Cohle and Arthur Schopenhauer 3
Sandra Shapshay
2 Grounding Carcosa: Cosmic Horror and Philosophical Pessimism in True Detective 11
Christopher Mountenay
3 Hart and Cohle: The Hopeful Pessimism of True Detective 22
Joshua Foa Dienstag
4 Loving Rust's Pessimism: Rationalism and Emotion in True Detective 31
Rick Elmore
5 Rust's Anti-natalism: The Moral Imperative to "Opt Out of a Raw Deal" 42
Chris Byron
Part II "we Get the World We Deserve": Cruelty, Violence, Evil, and Justice 53
6 Where Is the Cruelty in True Detective? 55
G. Randolph Mayes
7 Nevermind: Subjective and Objective Violence in Vinci 65
Luke Howie
8 Naturalism, Evil, and the Moral Monster: The Evil Person in True Detective 76
Peter Brian Barry
9 "But I Do Have a Sense of Justice": Law and Justice in the Bleak World of Vinci 87
Beau Mullen
Part III "everybody's Nobody": Consciousness, Existence, and Identity 97
10 A Dream Inside a Locked Room: The Illusion of Self 99
Evan Thompson
11 I Am Not Who I Used to Be, But Am I Me? Personal Identity and the Narrative of Rust 108
Andrew M. Winters
12 "The Light Is Winning" 120
Sarah K. Donovan
13 The Tragic Misstep: Consciousness, Free Will, and the Last Midnight 132
Daniel P. Malloy
Part IV "this Is My Least Favorite Life": Noir, Tragedy, and Philosopher-detectives 143
14 The Tragedy of True Detective Season Two: Living Our "Least Favorite Lives" 145
Alison Horbury
15 The Noir Detective and the City 158
Chuck Ward
16 Cohle and Oedipus: The Return of the Noir Hero 169
Daniel Tutt
Part V "Time Is a Flat Circle": Time in True Detective 177
17 Time Is a Flat Circle: Nietzsche's Concept of Eternal Recurrence 179
Lawrence J. Hatab
18 Eternal Recurrence and the Philosophy of the "Flat Circle" 186
Paul A. DiGeorgio
Known Associates 196
Index 201
Jacob Graham and Tom Sparrow
Part I "It's All One Ghetto, Man ... a Giant Gutter in Outer Space": Pessimism and Anti-natalism 1
1 Why Life Rather than Death? Answers from Rustin Cohle and Arthur Schopenhauer 3
Sandra Shapshay
2 Grounding Carcosa: Cosmic Horror and Philosophical Pessimism in True Detective 11
Christopher Mountenay
3 Hart and Cohle: The Hopeful Pessimism of True Detective 22
Joshua Foa Dienstag
4 Loving Rust's Pessimism: Rationalism and Emotion in True Detective 31
Rick Elmore
5 Rust's Anti-natalism: The Moral Imperative to "Opt Out of a Raw Deal" 42
Chris Byron
Part II "we Get the World We Deserve": Cruelty, Violence, Evil, and Justice 53
6 Where Is the Cruelty in True Detective? 55
G. Randolph Mayes
7 Nevermind: Subjective and Objective Violence in Vinci 65
Luke Howie
8 Naturalism, Evil, and the Moral Monster: The Evil Person in True Detective 76
Peter Brian Barry
9 "But I Do Have a Sense of Justice": Law and Justice in the Bleak World of Vinci 87
Beau Mullen
Part III "everybody's Nobody": Consciousness, Existence, and Identity 97
10 A Dream Inside a Locked Room: The Illusion of Self 99
Evan Thompson
11 I Am Not Who I Used to Be, But Am I Me? Personal Identity and the Narrative of Rust 108
Andrew M. Winters
12 "The Light Is Winning" 120
Sarah K. Donovan
13 The Tragic Misstep: Consciousness, Free Will, and the Last Midnight 132
Daniel P. Malloy
Part IV "this Is My Least Favorite Life": Noir, Tragedy, and Philosopher-detectives 143
14 The Tragedy of True Detective Season Two: Living Our "Least Favorite Lives" 145
Alison Horbury
15 The Noir Detective and the City 158
Chuck Ward
16 Cohle and Oedipus: The Return of the Noir Hero 169
Daniel Tutt
Part V "Time Is a Flat Circle": Time in True Detective 177
17 Time Is a Flat Circle: Nietzsche's Concept of Eternal Recurrence 179
Lawrence J. Hatab
18 Eternal Recurrence and the Philosophy of the "Flat Circle" 186
Paul A. DiGeorgio
Known Associates 196
Index 201