Indiana Jones and Philosophy: Why Did it Have to be Socrates? (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)

INDIANA JONES AND PHILOSOPHY What does it mean to choose wisely? Can heroes seek fortune and glory? Why does Indy take a leap of faith? Do Indy’s adventures provide him evidence of the supernatural? Should we hide the Ark of the Covenant in a military-controlled warehouse? Why are museums so important to archaeology? If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones! He’s both a mild-mannered archaeology professor and an intrepid adventurer traversing the globe in search of lost artifacts. Whether seeking the Ark of the Covenant in Egypt, the Sankara Stones in India, the Holy Grail in Turkey, or a mysterious crystal skull in Peru, Indy’s adventures never fail to delight audiences. Indiana Jones and Philosophy takes you on a whirlwind journey to investigate some of the most enduring questions about the human condition. You’ll read about how Indy has wronged Marion Ravenwood, how a virtuous person would make amends, the strides Indy makes to repair his relationship with his father, why Indy distinguishes fact from truth when he pursues archaeological treasures, and much more. With trusty guides such as Aristotle, Camus, Kant, and Nietzsche at your side, you’ll consider possible answers to these questions and see Indiana Jones in a whole new light! Comprehensive, immersive, and engaging, Indiana Jones and Philosophy offers you an accessible and lively opportunity to dive deeper into the world of Indiana Jones and appreciate the character’s greatness anew! INDIANA JONESAND PHILOSOPHY Contents Contributors: “We Have Top Men [and Women] Working on It” Acknowledgments: “We Can Discuss My Honorarium over Dinner and Champagne Tonight—Your Treat” Introduction: “Indiana Jones—I Always Knew Some Day You’d Come Walking Back through My Door. I Never Doubted That” Part I “It Was Wrong and You Knew It!”: Ethics and Values 1 Acting Without Thinking: The Sagacity of Indiana Jones 2 Does It Always Belong in a Museum? 3 The Virtues that Made the Man, and the Man Who Became the Legend: The Adventures in Philosophy of Young Indiana Jones 4 Raiders of the Lost Kant: Indy Meets the Categorical Imperative 5 Feminism and Indiana Jones: A Field Guide Part II “...But Choose Wisely”: Existentialism and Authenticity 6 The Absurd Hero: Indiana Jones, God, and Sisyphus 7 Indiana Jones and Existential Self-Affirmation 8 Nietzschean Themes in Raiders of the Lost Ark: God May Be Dead, But Best Not Disturb His Corpse 9 Homeward Bound with Indiana Jones Part III “Knowledge Was Their Treasure”: Truth and Evidence 10 Fact, Truth, and Evidence: A Lesson from Dr. Tyree 11 Indiana Jones and the Quest for Agnosticism: What if All Stories Are True? 12 The Shadow Realities of Indiana Jones 13 Pride and Prudence in the Pursuit of Knowledge: Indiana Jones, René Belloq, and Irina Spalko Part IV “You Will Become a True Believer”: Religion and Theology 14 Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Numinous Presence of God 15 Indiana Jones and the Leap of Faith 16 Sacred Objects and Cosmic Justice in Indiana Jones Part V “You Call This Archaeology?”: Archaeology and Politics 17 On My “Colleague” Dr. Jones and his “Publications” 18 “Sharing Your Adventures Has Been an Interesting Experience”: Indiana Jones and Professional Archaeology 19 Meddling with (Almost) Incomprehensible Powers Part VI “If It’s Truth You’re Interested in ...”: More from Dr. Tyree’s Classroom 20 Timeless Artifacts and Aging Humans: Indiana Jones and the Philosophy of Time 21 Listening to the Music of Indiana Jones: John Williams and Aesthetic Appreciation 22 “Germany Has Declared War on the Jones Boys!”: Asymmetric Strategy and Honor among Raiders 23 Indiana Jones in India, India in Indiana Jones 24 “Some of the Passageways in Here Can Run for Miles”: An Aristotelian Exploration of Fact and Truth in The Last Crusade Index: “If I Walk It through Mayan First...” EULA "We cannot escape Indiana Jones! (Not that we would want to, of course.) Harrison Ford deserves credit for the character's popularity. His ability to subtly play up Indy's foibles while playing down the character's heroism, makes Indiana Jones relatable. Of course, Lucas and the screenwriters are also responsible, as they magnificently depict Indy battling antagonists seeking to possess mystical objects for world domination. But Indy is no mere action hero. He also struggles with unrequited love that lingers for decades, an estrangement from his over-bearing father that lasts just as long, and a life-long obsession with regaining an important object unfairly taken from him. As we know, Indy doesn't always choose wisely, and if the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles are to be trusted, he made many missteps in his youth on the way to becoming the hero we know and love. Indy loses a fight as often as he wins, and when he wins, he doesn't always fight fairly. In fact, he stumbles so often, one might wonder why he persists decade after decade toward his goals. He's not getting any younger. What's the point? And, as he inexplicably trudges on, he-in the four films and various graphic novels-has many alleged encounters with the supernatural. He's not a religious person (at all), so what should he make of those? Should he take the leap of faith and become a believer? While we often see him conducting his highly unconventional fieldwork, spending an unusual amount of time in caves, he cannot completely ignore his "day job" teaching undergraduates and aiding their pursuit of knowledge. But why should archaeologists strive to put artifacts in a museum, or search for "fact," but not "truth" (and who is Dr. Tyree, anyway)? The Indiana Jones character is expressive of the human condition, vividly illuminating our struggles and issues on the big screen. True, we don't have John Williams's orchestra filling us with pride when we manage to do the right thing or play the part of the hero. Still, no one would blame you if you imagined Indy's theme blaring in the background while rising to meet a challenge!"-- Provided by publisher