The Princess Bride and Philosophy: Inconceivable! (Popular Culture and Philosophy (98))

The Princess Bride is the 1987 satirical adventure movie that had to wait for the Internet and DVDs to become the most quoted of all cult classics. The Princess Bride and Philosophy is for all those who have wondered about the true meaning of “Inconceivable!,” why the name “Roberts” uniquely inspires fear, and whether it’s a miracle to restore life to someone who is dead, but not completely dead. The Princess Bride is filled with beliefs that go beyond the evidence, and philosophy can help us to decide when such beliefs can be justified. Westley, Buttercup, Prince Humperdinck, Inigo Montoya, the giant Fezzik, and the Sicilian Vizzini keep on reappearing in these pages as examples of philosophical ideas. Is it right for Montoya to kill the six-fingered man, even though there is no money in the revenge business? What’s the best way to deceive someone who knows you’re trying to deceive him? Are good manners a kind of moral virtue? Could the actions of the masked man in black truly be inconceivable even though real? What does ethics have to say about Miracle Max’s pricing policy? How many shades of meaning can be conveyed by “As You Wish”? The Princess Bride is the 1987 satirical adventure movie that had to wait for the Internet and DVDs to become the most quoted of all cult classics. The Princess Bride and Philosophy is for all those who have wondered about the true meaning of “Inconceivable!,” why the name “Roberts” uniquely inspires fear, and whether it's truly a miracle to restore life to someone who is dead, but not necessarily completely dead. The Princess Bride is filled with people trying to persuade each other of various things, and invites us to examine the best methods of persuasion. It's filled with promises, some kept and some broken, and cries out for philosophical analysis of what makes a promise and why promises should be kept. It's filled with beliefs which go beyond the evidence, and philosophy can help us to decide when such beliefs can be justified. It's filled with political violence, both by and against the recognized government, and therefore raises all the issues of political philosophy. Westley, Buttercup, Prince Humperdinck, Inigo Montoya, the giant Fezzik, and the Sicilian Vizzini keep on re-appearing in these pages, as examples of philosophical ideas. Is it right for Montoya to kill the six-fingered man, even though there is no money in the revenge business? What's the best way to deceive someone who knows you're trying to deceive him? Are good manners a kind of moral virtue? Could the actions of the masked man in black truly be inconceivable even though real? What does ethics have to say about Miracle Max's pricing policy? How many shades of meaning can be conveyed by “As You Wish”? Contents Thanks Hello. My Name Is Inigo Montoya. You Bought This Book. Prepare to Enjoy! I. DECEPTIVE WORDS 1. True Love and False Fronts | Don Fallis 2. Why Men of Action Don't Lie: James Edwin Mahon 3. The Magic of a Promise | Daniel Malloy 4. That Moron Aristotle on the Means of Persuasion | Ivan Wolfe 5. Does It Mean What Vizzini Thinks It Means? Justin Fetterman II. COURAGE AND REASON 6. To the Pain 7. Who Should Have Won the Battle of Wits? Richard Greene 8. I Will Never Doubt Again | Jamie Carlin Watson and Laura K. Guidry-Grimes III. GETTING EVEN 9. Why Revenge Is So Sweet | Daniel Haas 10. Making the Punishment Fit the Crime | Joshua Heter 11. Have Fun Overthrowing This Evil Government! Tobias T. Gibson 12. Should I Really Stop That Rhyming? Wayne Yuen IV. METAPHYSICAL MIRACLES 13. The Shrieking Evils | Jerry S. Piven 14. THe End of Inigo Montoya | Charlene Elsby and Rob Luzecky 15. It Would Take a Miracle! Adam Barkman and Tristan Kaarid 16. My Name Is-Hang On, What Was It Meant to Be Again? Are You Sure? Well, Okay Then. . . Tim Jones 17. The Miracle of True Love | Charlene Elsby and Rob Luzecky V. LIFE LESSONS OF A FAIRY TALE 18. I Know Something You Don't Know | Randall E. Auxier 19. The Medical Ethics of Miracle Max | Brendan Shea 20. The Good and the Gracious | Elizabeth Olson and Charles Taliaferro 21. Buttercup and the Eternal Feminine | Chelsi Barnard Archibald 22. The Dao of Master Westley | Darci Doll 23. Why No One Would Surrender the the Dread Pirate Westley | Clint Jones References Philosophers of Unusual Smarts Index Until Now, No One Has Unlocked The Profound Secrets Of This Wise And Witty Adventure Tale. If You've Wondered Why Men Of Action Shouldn't Lie, How The Battle Of Wits Could Have Turned Out Differently, What A Rotten Miracle Would Look Like And Whether It Would Amount To Malpractice, Or How Westley Could Have Killed A Lot Of Innocent People And Still Be A Good Guy, Then The Princess Bride And Philosophy Has All The Answers--p. [4] Of Cover. Edited By Richard Greene And Rachel Robison-greene. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 245-248) And Index. "Until now, no one has unlocked the profound secrets of this wise and witty adventure tale. If you've wondered why men of action shouldn't lie, how the Battle of Wits could have turned out differently, what a rotten miracle would look like and whether it would amount to malpractice, or how Westley could have killed a lot of innocent people and still be a good guy, then The Princess Bride and Philosophy has all the answers"--Page 4 of cover