<p>"Packed with interesting ideas and insights... an ideal companion for anyone interested in unraveling the subtext and exploring the greater issues." (Planet-Print Blog.com, July 2011) </p>

A philosophical exploration of the entire seven-book Harry Potter series

Harry Potter has been heralded as one of the most popular book series of all time and the philosophical nature of Harry, Hermione, and Ron's quest to rid the world of its ultimate evil is one of the many things that make this series special. The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy covers all seven titles in J.K. Rowling's groundbreaking series and takes fans back to Godric's Hollow to discuss life after death, to consider what moral reasoning drove Harry to choose death, and to debate whether Sirius Black is a man or a dog.

With publication timed to coincide with the release of the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1), this book will be the definitive guide for all fans looking to appreciate the series on a deeper level.

  • Covers a range of intriguing topics such as the redemption of Severus Snape, the power of love, and destiny in the wizarding world
  • Gives you a new perspective on Harry Potter characters, plot lines, and themes
  • Makes a perfect companion to the Harry Potter books and movies

Packed with interesting ideas and insights, The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy is an ideal companion for anyone interested in unraveling the subtext and exploring the greater issues at work in the story.

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A philosophical exploration of the entire seven-book Harry Potter series Harry Potter has been heralded as one of the most popular book series of all time and the philosophical nature of Harry, Hermione, and Ron's quest to rid the world of its ultimate evil is one of the many things that make this series special.
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FOREWORD BY TOM MORRIS xi

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Some House Points I’d Like to Award xv

Introduction: Harry Potter and the Enchantment of Philosophy 1

PART ONE THE HORCRUX OF THE MATTER: DESTINY, IDENTITY, AND THE SOUL

1 The Soul in Harry Potter 7
Scott Sehon

2 Sirius Black: Man or Dog? 22
Eric Saidel

3 Destiny in the Wizarding World 35
Jeremy Pierce

PART TWO THE MOST POWERFUL MAGIC OF ALL

4 Choosing Love: The Redemption of Severus Snape 53
Catherine Jack Deavel and David Paul Deavel

5 Love Potion No. 9¾ 66
Gregory Bassham

6 Harry Potter, Radical Feminism, and the Power of Love 80
Anne Collins Smith

PART THREE POTTERWATCH: FREEDOM AND POLITICS

7 Patriotism, House Loyalty, and the Obligations of Belonging 97
Andrew P. Mills

8 Dumbledore’s Politics 113
Beth Admiraal and Regan Lance Reitsma

9 Dumbledore, Plato, and the Lust for Power 128
David Lay Williams and Alan J. Kellner

PART FOUR THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENT: A POTTER POTPOURRI

10 Is Dumbledore Gay? Who’s to Say? 143
Tamar Szabó Gendler

11 Choices vs. Abilities: Dumbledore on Self-Understanding 157
Gregory Bassham

12 The Magic of Personal Transformation 172
S. Joel Garver

13 Just in Your Head? J. K. Rowling on Separating Reality from Illusion 185
John Granger with Gregory Bassham

14 A Pensieve for Your Thoughts? Harry Potter and the Magic of Memory 198
Amy Kind

15 A Hogwarts Education: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 212
Gregory Bassham

PART FIVE BEYOND THE VEIL: DEATH, HOPE, AND MEANING

16 The Real Secret of the Phoenix: Moral Regeneration through Death 229
Charles Taliaferro

17 Beyond Godric’s Hollow: Life after Death and the Search for Meaning 246
Jonathan L. Walls and Jerry L. Walls

18 Why Harry and Socrates Decide to Die: Virtue and the Common Good 258
Michael W. Austin

CONTRIBUTORS: The Hogwarts (for Muggles) Faculty 271

THE MARAUDER ’ S INDEX 279

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Is it always wrong to use a love potion? Is death something to be feared . . . or ”mastered”? What can Severus Snape teach us about the possibility of redemption? Is love the most powerful magic of all?

J. K. Rowling's wildly popular Harry Potter books may appear to be simple children's tales on the surface, but like Hogwarts, they conceal many hidden chambers, trapdoors, and perplexing secrets. Drawing on all seven books in the Harry Potter series, The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy offers a powerful brew of insights about good and evil, love, death, power, sacrifice, and hope. Is it true, as Dumbledore says, that our choices reveal far more about us than our abilities do? Is there an afterlife, and what might it be like? Here's a Pensieve for your thoughts. So take a healthy slug of Baruffio's Brain Elixir and join Bassham's Army of talented philosophers in exploring the mind-stretching deeper questions of the Potter books and films.

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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780470398258
Publisert
2010-09-03
Utgiver
Vendor
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Vekt
476 gr
Høyde
226 mm
Bredde
152 mm
Dybde
15 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
304

Om bidragsyterne

GREGORY BASSHAM is chair of the Philosophy Department and a professor of philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He is coeditor of the forthcoming The Hobbit and Philosophy and has coedited The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy, The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy, and Basketball and Philosophy.

WILLIAM IRWIN is a professor of philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles, including Batman and Philosophy, House and Philosophy, and Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy.