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Game of Thrones and Philosophy
Logic Cuts Deeper Than Swords
William Irwin (Series edited by), Henry Jacoby (Edited by)
9781118161999, Wiley
Paperback / softback, published 9 March 2012
320 pages
22.6 x 15 x 2.5 cm, 0.386 kg
An in-depth look at the philosophical issues behind HBO's Game of Thrones television series and the books that inspired it George R.R. Martin's New York Times bestselling epic fantasy book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, and the HBO television show adapted from it, have earned critical acclaim and inspired fanatic devotion. This book delves into the many philosophical questions that arise in this complex, character-driven series, including: Is it right for a "good" king to usurp the throne of a "bad" one and murder his family? How far should you go to protect your family and its secrets? In a fantasy universe with medieval mores and ethics, can female characters reflect modern feminist ideals? Essential reading for fans, Game of Thrones and Philosophy will enrich your experience of your favorite medieval fantasy series.
FOREWORD by Elio M. Garcia and Linda Antonsson ix A RAVE N FROM HOUSE WI LEY: Editor’s Note on Spoilers xiii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: How I Was Spared from Having to Take the Black xv Introduction: So What if Winter Is Coming? 1 PART ONE “YOU WIN OR YOU DIE” 1 Maester Hobbes Goes to King’s Landing 5 2 It Is a Great Crime to Lie to a King 19 3 Playing the Game of Thrones: Some Lessons from Machiavelli 33 4 The War in Westeros and Just War Theory 49 PART TWO “THE THINGS I DO FOR LOVE” 5 Winter Is Coming!: The Bleak Quest for Happiness in Westeros 63 6 The Death of Lord Stark: The Perils of Idealism 75 7 Lord Eddard Stark, Queen Cersei Lannister: Moral Judgments from Different Perspectives 87 8 It Would Be a Mercy: Choosing Life or Death in Westeros and Beyond the Narrow Sea 99 PART THREE “WINTER IS COMING” 9 Wargs, Wights, and Wolves That Are Dire: Mind and Metaphysics, Westeros Style 115 10 Magic, Science, and Metaphysics in A Game of Thrones 129 11 “You Know Nothing, Jon Snow”: Epistemic Humility Beyond the Wall 142 12 “Why Is the World So Full of Injustice?”: Gods and the Problem of Evil 154 PART FOUR “THE MAN WHO PASSES THE SENTENCE SHOULD SWING THE SWORD” 13 Why Should Joffrey Be Moral If He Has Already Won the Game of Thrones? 169 14 The Moral Luck of Tyrion Lannister 183 15 Dany’s Encounter with the Wild: Cultural Relativism in A Game of Thrones 194 16 “There Are No True Knights”: The Injustice of Chivalry 205 PART FIVE “STICK THEM WITH THE POINTY END” 17 Fate, Freedom, and Authenticity in A Game of Thrones 223 18 No One Dances the Water Dance 236 19 The Things I Do For Love: Sex, Lies, and Game Theory 250 20 Stop the Madness!: Knowledge, Power, and Insanity in A Song of Ice and Fire 264 CONTRIBUTORS: The Learned Lords and Ladies from beyond the Seven Kingdoms 279 INDEX: From the Archives at Oldtown 287
Henry Jacoby
Greg Littmann
Don Fallis
Marcus Schulzke
Richard H. Corrigan
Eric J. Silverman
David Hahn
Albert J. J. Anglberger and Alexander Hieke
Matthew Tedesco
Henry Jacoby
Edward Cox
Abraham P. Schwab
Jaron Daniël Schoone
Daniel Haas
Christopher Robichaud
Katherine Tullman
Stacey Goguen
Michael J. Sigrist
Henry Jacoby
R. Shannon Duval
Chad William Timm
Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]
