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The Wheel of Time and Philosophy
A Portion of Wisdom
Jacob M. Held (Edited by), Held (Author), William Irwin (Series edited by)
9781119932406, Wiley
Paperback / softback, published 28 August 2025
224 pages
22.6 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.295 kg
Delve through a unique exploration of the philosophy underlying The Wheel of Time “The Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten…” Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time is a story of mythic proportions, following Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, as he marches toward Tarmon Gai'don, the last battle between the forces of good and evil. Male and Female ‘channelers’ wield complementary halves of the one power, some for good, others in service to the Dark One. But in a world of polar opposites, there is ambiguity. Rand, alongside his comrades, must navigate a complex world where anybody may be a Darkfriend and even dreams may be lethal, all while learning to become the heroes of legend they thought only existed in gleeman's tales. Drawing from both the beloved book series and the Amazon Prime adaptation, 18 scholars and fans provide readers with a deeper understanding of the ideas woven throughout the rich world of The Wheel of Time. Covering wide ranging themes from magic rooted in biological sex and the meaning of gender to Wolf-brothers and humanity's connection to the animal world, from slavery and servitude to pacifism and polyamory, these authors tackle issues paramount to understanding the human condition. Substantial yet accessible chapters address philosophical questions including: Featuring contributions from scholars with expertise in philosophy, literature, and media studies, The Wheel of Time and Philosophy: A Portion of Wisdom is ideal a must-read for fans, philosophy students and scholars alike who wish to explore the deeper intellectual currents running through The Wheel of Time.
List of Contributors vii Acknowledgments xi Introduction: “A Part of What We Know” xii Stories Have Power 1 1 Tolkien’s Influence and the World of The Wheel of Time 3 2 The Wheel of Time and Authorship: The French Connection 17 3 “We Call Ourselves Gleeman Because a Silly Name Makes Us Less Frightening:” Artists, Marginality, and Epistemic Privilege 27 Alive, Gloriously Alive, Today 35 4 The Anti- Natalist and the Aes Sedai: Should Rand al’Thor Save the World? 37 5 Nietzsche’s Test of Time: The Wheel as an Existential Imperative 47 6 A World Without Shai’tan: The Significance of Free Will in The Wheel of Time 55 7 Revelations from Rhuidean: Messianism and Philosophy of History in The Wheel of Time 65 The Web Can Be Woven Many Ways 73 8 The (Re)Birth of Sovereignty in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time 75 9 Eyes Without Pity “… To Have Grown Up Thinking You Were a Person …” 85 10 Glimpsing the Pattern and Salvaging a Semblance of Choice 95 11 Their Choice to Make: Rand’s Vision of Free Will and Evil 107 One Rule, Above All Others … 117 12 Kantian Commentary on the Three Oaths: “It Just May Not Be the Truth You Think You’ll Hear” 119 13 On the Supposed Right to Slay Dragons Because of Philanthropic Concerns: The Mysterious Ethics of the Aes Sedai 131 14 Asha’man, Kill On “Making Weapons” and the Ethics of War 141 15 The Way of the Leaf: Pacifism in the Third Age 149 Humankind Is Made for Uncertainty 161 16 Un/Common Bonds: Ethics and Polyamory in The Wheel of Time 163 17 Fear of the Beast Within: Perrin, Hopper, and Human– Animal Relationships 175 18 Gendered Souls and Bodies: Hylomorphism and the Saidin/Saidar Distinction 181 Epilogue: A Portion of Courage 191 Index of Terms and Names 199
Michel- Antoine Xhignesse
Roderick Cooke
Traci Phillipson
Kenneth R. Pike Copyrighted Material
Steven Michels
Kenneth Silver
Andrew D. Thrasher
Jeremy Christensen and Eric Holmes
Tim Jones
Dean A. Kowalski
Jacob M. Held
Dean A. Kowalski
Steve Bein
Tobias T. Gibson
Jacob M. Held
Benjamin B. DeVan
Maja Griem
Julie Loveland Swanstrom and Caitlynn Fletcher
Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]
