Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine (Popular Culture and Philosophy (12))

The Star Wars films continue to revolutionize science fiction, creating new standards for cinematographic excellence, and permeating popular culture around the world. The films feature many complex themes ranging from good versus evil and moral development and corruption to religious faith and pragmatism, forgiveness and redemption, and many others. The essays in this volume tackle the philosophical questions from these blockbuster films including: Was Anakin predestined to fall to the Dark Side? Are the Jedi truly role models of moral virtue? Why would the citizens and protectors of a democratic Republic allow it to descend into a tyrannical empire? Is Yoda a peaceful Zen master or a great warrior, or both? Why is there both a light and a dark side of the Force? Star Wars and Philosophy ponders the depths of these subjects and asks what it truly means to be mindful of the "living force." You Cannot Escape Your Destiny (or Can You?) : Freedom And Predestination In The Skywalker Family / Jason T. Eberl -- Stoicism In The Stars : Yoda, The Emperor, And The Force / William O. Stephens -- The Far East Of Star Wars / Walter [ritoku] Robinson -- Moral Ambiguity In A Black-and-white Universe / Richard H. Dees -- Try Not-do Or Do Not : Ethics In A Galaxy Far, Far Away -- The Aspiring Jedi's Handbook Of Virtue / Judith Barad -- A Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy : Star Wars And The Problem Of Evil / Christopher M. Brown -- Be Mindful Of The Living Force : Environmental Ethics In Star Wars / Elizabeth F. Cooke -- Send In The Clones : The Ethics Of Future Wars / Richard Hanley -- Don't Call Me A Mindless Philosopher! : Alien Technologies And The Metaphysics Of -- The Force -- A Technological Galaxy : Heidegger And The Philosophy Of Technology In Star Wars / J Erold J. Abrams -- If Droids Could Think . . . : Droids As Slaves And Persons / Robert Arp -- Size Matters Not : The Force As The Causal Power Of The Jedi -- Jan-erik Jones -- The Force Is With Us : Hegel's Philosophy Of Spirit Strikes Back At The Empire / James Lawler -- There's Always A Bigger Fish : Truth, Faith And A Galactic Society -- What Is Thy Bidding, My Master? : Star Wars And The Hegelian Struggle For -- Recognition / Brian Cameron -- By Any Means Necessary : Tyranny, Democracy, Republic, And Empire / Kevin S. Decker -- Humanizing Technology : Flesh And Machine In Aristotle And The Empire Strikes -- Back / Jerome Donnelly -- A Certain Point Of View : Lying Jedi, Honest Sith, And The Viewers Who Love -- Them / Shanti Fader -- Religious Pragmatism Through The Eyes Of Luke Skywalker -- Joseph Long. Edited By Kevin S. Decker And Jason T. Eberl. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A collection of essays that address the philosophical questions associated with the "Star Wars" films