The Philosophical Power of Fairy Tales From Around the World : An Ocean of Stories

This book analyzes the philosophical dimensions of fairy tales from cultures all around the world. Though there is a robust literature that analyzes fairy tales from sociological and historical perspectives and psychology has also focused on mining these stories for insights, this book is unique in its focus on fairy tales as philosophical texts. Bringing together scholars from a truly global range of philosophical and literary traditions, this book shows that fairy tales encapsulate the human dilemma of living in the world, trying to make meaning, and charting a course through good and evil. The book's contributors study fairy tales from East Africa, Australia, Jewish Eastern Europe, Iran, Korea, Turkey, Indigenous North America, and beyond. Ending with a section on Philosophy for Children, this book will also be of interest to scholars and practitioners in this subfield, in addition to scholars of philosophy and popular culture and philosophy of literature. Acknowledgments Contents Notes on Contributors Morality and Agency Introduction: The Philosophical Richness of the Fairy Tale Part One “Morality and Agency” Part Two “The Other/The Self” Part Three “Transformation/Transference” Part Four “Feminine Agency” Part Five “Fairy Tales and Philosophical Inquiry with Young People” Some Online Resources for Information About General Studies and Practices of Doing Philosophy with Young People Works Cited From Rags to Riches Reconsidered: Cynical Musings About Good Fortunes and Happily Ever Afters in Russian Fairy Tales Works Cited Euthanasia and Life Extension in Life and Death (1897) Summary of Life and Death The Ethics of Euthanasia The Ethics of Life Extension The Good Life Concluding Remarks References Exploring Philosophical Concepts with a Turkish Fairy Tale Introduction Origins of Turkish Fairy Tales Characteristics and Functions of Fairy Tales Turkish Fairy Tale Types and Symbols Form in Turkish Fairy Tales Keloglan and the Golden Nightingale and Philosophical Concepts Courage Envy The Moral Evil Problem Conclusion Works Cited The Other/The Self “Come Seek Us Where Our Voices Sound”: Encountering the Mermaid in Harry Potter Works Cited The Golem: A Jewish Fairy Tale of Language, Identity, and Responsibility The Fairy Tale Language and Power Identity: What Does It Mean to Be Human? Responsibility and the Risks of Technological Advancement What Can the Golem Teach Us? Works Cited Community of Philosophical Inquiry Visits Derrida: In Defense of “Abnormality” in the Iranian Fairy Tale, Bald Black Mam Introduction Bald Black Mam: A Summary and Contextualization Class Challenges and Deconstructive Marxism Challenge of Normality and Abnormality Multiple Femininities Conclusion Works Cited “Et max laryngitis”: Silencing the Siren in The Little Mermaid Works Cited Transformation/Transference Absence, Violence, and Desire: Derrida, Girard, and Blue Beard’s Justice The Grimmest Fairy Tale Blue Beard’s Murderous Philosophy Girard in the Castle Derrida in the Bloody Chamber A Feminist Retelling of the Grisly Tableaux Washing the Blood Away Works Cited The Question of Time, or a Quest for Virtues in Liudmila Petrushevskaia’s Fairy Tales Revising Depthlessness The Cyclicality of Time Against Finalities The Difficulty of Narrative Endings Works Cited Feminine Agency Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave: A Feminist Revisiting Introduction Baba Yaga: Ambiguous, Wild, and Willful Vasilisa and Her Doll: Relational Autonomy and Agency Relational Autonomy and Agency Into the Forest: Liminal Spaces Liminal Spaces Conclusion Works Cited North-American Indigenous Myths: A Philosophical Rendition How to Look at Folk Tales: Adopting an Intersectional Lens The Question of Canon North American Indigenous Folk Tales: The Profound Philosophy Pourquoi Stories Creation Folk Tales Trickster Tales Works Cited “If I become your wife, what will you beat me with, when we argue?”: A Philosophical (Foucauldian) Reading of the Feminine Body in an Iranian Tale, Khaleh Sooskeh Introduction Khaleh Sooskeh: A Summery and Snapshot Michel Foucault’s Concept of “docile bodies” A Philosophical (Foucauldian) Reading of Khaleh Sooskeh Final Remarks Works cited Fairy Tales and Philosophical Inquiry with Young People The Philosophical Potential of Folk Tales for Children: An Exploration of “Who is the Smartest?” from Karditsa, Greece Introduction Defining Philosophy for Children Exploring the Philosophical Potential of Folk Tales for Children Objectives and Methodology of the Study Results Conclusion Works Cited Primary Sources Secondary Sources The Brother and the Sister Who Became the Sun and the Moon Story Story Guide Philosophical Themes in the Story Theme 1: Failure of Adults and Success of Children Failure of Parents: Discussion Plan Good Reasons: Discussion Plan Doubt: Discussion Plan Doubt: Activity Lies: Discussion Plan Theme 2: The Fall of the Tiger and the Rise of the Brother and the Sister Weakness and Strength, Good and Evil: Discussion Plan Weakness and Strength, Good and Evil: Practice Exercises Nature as a Judge: Discussion Plan Theme 3: Primitive Sun-Moon Mythology and the Solar (Male) and Lunar (Female) in Male-Centric Society Masculinity and Femininity: Exercise and Discussion Plan Human and the Sun and Moon: Discussion Plan Wrapping Up the Inquiry Rewriting the Activity Works Cited Sir Isumbras: A Medieval Fairy Tale A Note on Religion in the Tale The Tale Reading Plan and Age Range Suggestion Themes Themes: Gender and Class Questions Activity: Rewriting the Story Activity: Men’s and Women’s Work Activity: Ranking Occupations Theme: Supernatural Experiences Questions Activity: Can You Believe It? Theme: Animals Questions Activity: Animals in the Middle Ages Activity: Animal Connotations Activity: Images of Animals Theme: Moral Transformation—Reflection Questions Activity: Comparing Arcs Activity: Rewriting the Story Activity: Self-reflection Theme: Finding Meaning in Suffering Questions Activity: Finding Meaning in Suffering Theme: Religious Pluralism Questions Activity: Rewrite the Story Activity: Changing Your Beliefs Resources on Sir Isumbras A Fairy and A Woodcutter The Story Guide Philosophical Value Possible Questions The Woodcutter’s Behavior: Ethical or Not? Love: The Questionable Mind of the Fairy Filial Piety Worldview: Heaven-Earth-Human (Cheon-Ji-In) Number 3 Follow-up Activities References