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Taylor Swift and Philosophy
Essays from the Tortured Philosophers Department

Catherine M. Robb (Edited by), CM Robb (Author), Georgie Mills (Edited by), William Irwin (Series edited by)

9781394238590, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 16 September 2024

256 pages
22.1 x 14.7 x 1.5 cm, 0.295 kg

Explore the philosophical wisdom of Taylor Swift and her music

Taylor Swift is a “Mastermind” when it comes to relationships, songwriting, and performing sold-out stadium tours. But did you know that Taylor is also a philosophical mastermind?

Taylor Swift and Philosophy is the first book to explore the philosophical topics that arise from Taylor Swift's life and music. Edited and authored by Swifties who also happen to be philosophers and scholars, this fun and engaging book is written with general readers in mind—you don't have to be a devoted fan or a specialist in philosophy to explore the themes, concepts, and questions expressed in Taylor's songs.

  • Is Taylor Swift a philosopher?
  • What can her songs tell us about ethics and society?
  • What is the nature of friendship?
  • Should you forgive someone for breaking your heart?

Presenting top-tier research and new perspectives on important contemporary issues, twenty-seven chapters discuss the philosophical contexts of Taylor's work, such as the ethics of reputational damage, the impacts of first impressions, the moral obligation to speak out against injustice, and much more.

Taylor Swift and Philosophy is a must-read for Swifties who want to deepen their appreciation and understanding of Taylor's work, as well as for philosophy students and scholars with an interest in popular culture and media studies.

Contributors viii

Introducing … Taylor Swift’s Philosophy Era xiv
Catherine M. Robb and Georgie Mills

“Who Is Taylor Swift Anyway? Ew” 1

1 Is Taylor Swift a Philosopher? 3
Catherine M. Robb

2 “You Should Find Another Guiding Light”: Is Taylor Swift Admirable? 12
Kate C.S. Schmidt

3 Eyes Open: Taylor Swift and the Philosophy of Easter Eggs 19
Eline Kuipers

4 Taylor Swift and the Ethics of Body Image 28
Gah-Kai Leung

5 So Mother for That: Taylor Swift and Childless Mothering 36
Lucy Britt and Brian Britt

“Look What You Made Me Do”: Reputation, Forgiveness, and Blame 47

6 Can I Forgive You for Breaking My Heart? 49
Sophia Pettigrove and Glen Pettigrove

7 How to Forgive an Innocent: Taylor, Kanye, and the Ethics of Forgiveness 58
Sarah Köglsperger

8 “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”: Goodwill as a Finite Resource 66
Georgie Mills

9 Taylor Swift’s Philosophy of Reputation 72
Catherine M. Robb and Roos Slegers

10 “It’s Me, Hi! I’m the Problem It’s Me”: Taylor Swift and Self- Blame 81
Agnès Baehni

“The Girl in the Dress Wrote You a Song” 89

11 Begin Again (Taylor’s Version): On Taylor Swift’s Repetition and Difference 91
King-Ho Leung

12 Is Taylor Swift’s Music Timeless?: A Metaphysical Proof 99
Patrick Dawson

13 “I Remember It All Too Well”: Memory, Nostalgia, and the Archival Art of Songwriting 107
Rebecca Keddie

14 Taylor’s Version: Rerecording, Narrative, and Self- Interpretation 116
Jana Alvara Carstens

“With My Calamitous Love and Insurmountable Grief” 127

15 Taylor Swift on the Values and Vulnerability of Love 129
Macy Salzberger

16 “Every Scrap of You Would Be Taken from Me”: Taylor Swift on Grief 137
Jonathan Birch

17 “What a Shame She Went Mad”: Anger, Affective Injustice, and Taylor Swift’s “mad woman” 147
Erica Bigelow

18 I’m Fine with My Spite: The Philosophy of Female Anger in the Work of Taylor Swift 154
Amanda Cercas Curry and Alba Curry

“I Should’ve Known”: Taylor Swift’s Philosophy of Knowledge 163

19 “Summer Love” or “Just a Summer Thing?”: Feminist Standpoint Epistemology and the folklore Love Triangle 165
Lottie Pike and Tom Beevers

20 The Trouble with Knowing You Were Trouble 174
Eric Scarffe and Katherine Valde

21 “I Knew Everything When I Was Young”: Examining the Wisdom of Youth 182
Urja Lakhani

22 How Do We Know What Taylor Swift Is Feeling? 189
Neil Mussett

“Back to December”: Fate, Memory, and Imagination 199

23 A Real Lasting Legacy: Memory, Imagination, and Taylor Swift 201
Christopher Buford

24 Stained Glass Windows in My Mind: Modality in the Imagery of Taylor Swift 208
Shoshannah Diehl

25 “Take Me to the Lakes”: Transcendentalism and Ecology in Taylor Swift’s folklore 216
Joshua Fagan

26 Wildest Dreams: Stoic Fate and Acceptance (Taylor’s Version) 225
David Hahn

27 Mythic Motifs in The Tortured Poets Department: “The Story Isn’t Mine Anymore” 231
Georgie Mills

Index of Terms and Names 238

Index of Taylor Swift’s Songs and Albums 241

Subject Areas: Society & culture: general [JF]
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