The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy: You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)

Does it take faith to be a Jedi? Are droids capable of thought? Should Jar Jar Binks be held responsible for the rise of the Empire? Presenting entirely new essays, no aspect of the myth and magic of George Lucas’s creation is left philosophically unexamined in The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy . The editors of the original Star Wars and Philosophy strike back in this Ultimate volume that encompasses the complete Star Wars universe Presents the most far-reaching examination of the philosophy behind Star Wars – includes coverage of the entire film catalogue to date as well as the Expanded Universe of novels, comics, television series, games and toys Provides serious explorations into the deeper meaning of George Lucas’s philosophically rich creation Topics explored include the moral code of bounty-hunter favourite Boba Fett, Stoicism and the Jedi Order, the nature of the Dark Side, Anakin and Achilles in a nihilism face-off, feminism and being chained to a giant slug, cloning, de-extinction, fatherhood, Wookiees, loyalty, betrayal, guardians, republics, tyrants, terrorism, civic duty, friendship, family, and more! Episode I : The Philosophical Menace. The Platonic Paradox Of Darth Plagueis : How Could A Sith Lord Be Wise? / Terrance Macmullan -- You Are Asking Me To Be Rational : Stoic Philosophy And The Jedi Order / Matt Hummel -- The Jedi Knights Of Faith : Anakin, Luke, And Søren (kierkegaard) / William A. Lindenmuth -- Anakin And Achilles : Scars Of Nihilism / Don Adams -- Dark Times : The End Of The Republic And The Beginning Of Chinese Philosophy / Kevin S. Decker -- Episode Ii : Attack Of The Morals. Chasing Kevin Smith : Was It Immoral For The Rebel Alliance To Destroy Death Star Ii? / Charles C. Camosy -- The Ballad Of Boba Fett : Mercenary Agency And Amoralism In War / David Larocca -- How Guilty Is Jar Jar Binks? / Nicolas Michaud -- Know The Dark Side : A Theodicy Of The Force / Jason T. Eberl -- Episode Iii: Revenge Of The Alliance -- Like My Father Before Me : Loss And Redemption Of Fatherhood In Star Wars / Charles Taliaferro And Annika Taylor Beck --^ The Friends Of A Jedi : Friendship, Family, And Civic Duty In A Galaxy At War / Greg Littmann -- Light Side, Dark Side, And Switching Sides : Loyalty And Betrayal In Star Wars / Daniel Malloy -- Guardians And Tyrants In The Republics Of Star Wars And Plato / Adam Barkman And Kyle Alkema -- Episode Iv : A New Hermeneutic -- Pregnant Padmé And Slave Leia : Star Wars' Female Role Models / Cole Bowman -- Docile Bodies And A Viscous Force : Fear Of The Flesh In Return Of The Jedi / Jennifer L. Mcmahon -- Of Battle Droids And Zillo Beasts : Moral Status In The Star Wars Galaxy / James M. Okapal -- Episode V : Metaphysics Strikes Back -- Why The Force Must Have A Dark Side / George A. Dunn -- What Is It Like To Be A Jedi? : A Life In The Force / Marek Mcgann -- Never Tell Me The Odds : An Inquiry Concerning Jedi Understanding / Andrew Zimmerman Jones -- Episode Vi : Return Of The Non-human --^ Mindless Philosophers And Overweight Globs Of Grease : Are Droids Capable Of Thought? / Dan Burkett -- Can Chewie Speak? Wittgenstein And The Philosophy Of Language / Rhiannon Grant And Myfanwy Reynolds -- Can The Zillo Beast Strike Back? Cloning, De-extinction, And The Species Problem / Leonard Finkelman -- Episode Vii : The Fandom Awakens -- In That Time... In A Galaxy Far, Far Away : Epic Myth-understandings And Myth-appropriation In Star Wars / John Thompson -- Star Wars, Emotions, And The Paradox Of Fiction / Lance Belluomini -- The Mind Of Blue Snaggletooth : The Intentional Stance, Vintage Star Wars Action Figures, And The Origins Of Religion / Dennis Knepp -- Gospel, Gossip, And Ghent : How Should We Understand The New Star Wars? / Roy T. Cook And Nathan Kellen. Edited By Jason T. Eberl And Kevin S. Decker. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Text In English. Episode I : the philosophical menace. The platonic paradox of Darth Plagueis : how could a sith lord be wise? / Terrance MacMullan -- You are asking me to be rational : stoic philosophy and the Jedi order / Matt Hummel -- The Jedi knights of faith : Anakin, Luke, and Soren (Kierkegaard) / William A. Lindenmuth -- Anakin and Achilles : scars of nihilism / Don Adams -- Dark times : the end of the republic and the beginning of Chinese philosophy / Kevin S. Decker -- Episode II : attack of the morals. Chasing Kevin Smith: was it immoral for the rebel alliance to destroy Death Star II? / Charles C. Camosy -- The ballad of Boba Fett : mercenary agency and amoralism in war / David LaRocca -- How guilty is Jar Jar Binks? / Nicolas Michaud -- Know the dark side : a theodicy of the force / Jason T. Eberl -- Episode III: revenge of the alliance -- Like my father before me : loss and redemption of fatherhood in Star Wars / Charles Taliaferro and Annika Taylor Beck -- The friends of a Jedi : friendship, family, and civic duty in a galaxy at war / Greg Littmann -- Light side, dark side, and switching sides : loyalty and betrayal in Star Wars / Daniel Malloy -- Guardians and tyrants in the republics of Star Wars and Plato / Adam Barkman and Kyle Alkema -- Episode IV : a new hermeneutic -- Pregnant Padme and slave Leia : Star Wars female role models / Cole Bowman -- Docile bodies and a viscous force : fear of the flesh in return of the Jedi / Jennifer L. McMahon -- Of battle droids and zillo beasts : moral status in the Star Wars galaxy / James M. Okapal -- Episode V : metaphysics strikes back -- Why the force must have a dark side / George A. Dunn -- What is it like to be a Jedi? : a life in the force / Marek McGann -- Never tell me the odds : an inquiry concerning Jedi understanding / Andrew Zimmerman Jones -- Episode VI : return of the non-human -- Mindless philosophers and overweight globs of grease : are droids capable of thought? / Dan Burkett -- Can Chewie speak? : Wittgenstein and the philosophy of language / Rhiannon Grant and Myfanwy Reynolds -- Can the zillo beast strike back? : cloning, de-extinction, and the species problem / Leonard Finkelman -- Episode VII : the fandom awakens -- In that time in a galaxy far, far away : epic myth-understandings and myth-appropriation in Star Wars / John Thompson -- Star Wars, emotions, and the paradox of fiction / Lance Belluomini -- The mind of blue snaggletooth : the intentional stance, vintage Star Wars action figures, and the origins of religion / Dennis Knepp -- Gospel, gossip, and Ghent : how should we understand the new Star Wars? / Roy T. Cook and Nathan Kellen Is the Rebel Alliance a terrorist organization? Are droids capable of thought? This collection of essays explore the deeper meaning of Lucas's media franchise creation, Star wars. From feminist critiques and mythic foundations, to an understanding of what is "canonical" in the franchise, the reader will see a new side to familiar topics