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The Witcher and Philosophy
Toss a Coin to Your Philosopher

Matthew Brake (Edited by), Kevin S. Decker (Edited by)

9781394168736, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 31 October 2024

272 pages
21.8 x 15 x 1.8 cm, 0.318 kg

Embark on a revealing philosophical journey through the universe of The Witcher

“If I'm to choose between one evil and another, I'd rather not choose at all,” growls the mutant “witcher,” Geralt of Rivia. Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher books lay bare the adventures of monster hunters like Geralt, who seek to avoid humanity's conflicts and live only for the next kill and the coin that comes with it. But Geralt's destiny is complicated by his relationship with a powerful sorceress, Yennefer of Vengerberg. When he connects with a displaced princess, Ciri, Geralt lands right in the middle of the political conflicts of the Continent, which is endangered by Nilfgaard, a domineering southern kingdom that threatens to conquer the world.

Part of the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, The Witcher and Philosophy brings on twenty-seven philosophers to test their mettle against werewolves, the bruxa, strigas, vodyanoi, and kikimora; their work addresses the phenomenally popular books, three standalone Witcher video games, and the hit Netflix streaming show. These authors pass on their fascination with all manner of horror and sorcery: the mutations that make Geralt and others witchers, the commonalities between the Continent and post-apocalyptic settings, the intricacies of political power and scandal in the world of The Witcher, and reflections of our own world's changing views on race and gender that might offer hope—or portend a grim future.

Engaging and accessible, The Witcher and Philosophy considers key themes and questions such as:

  • Who is human, and who is a monster?
  • Can Geralt afford to stay neutral?
  • What kind of politics do sorceresses engage in?
  • How many universes converge on the Continent?
  • If we stare long enough into the abyss, does it stare back into us?
  • Silver or steel?

“Destiny is just the embodiment of the soul's desire to grow,” says Jaskier the bard, proving himself to be a natural philosopher. The tales of The Witcher remind us that our lives are a play written by both choice and destiny. And it is your destiny to read and be inspired by The Witcher and Philosophy.

Contributors viii

Introduction: Toss a Coin to Your Witcher . . . and Your Philosopher xiv
Matthew Brake

Ethics 1

1 A Friend of Humanity: On Mercenaries, Mutants, and Morals 3
Zachary Vereb

2 The Witcher’s Dilemmas: Genuine or Apparent? 13
Walter Barta and Graham Lee

3 Lesser of Two Evils: Deliberation and the Witcher’s Moral Dilemma 22
Corey R. Horn

4 Friendship in the Wild: Kant, the Witcher, and Curiosity 30
Cisil Vardar

Free Will and Existentialism 37

5 Destiny, Fate, and the Law of Surprise: Determinism, Free Will, and The Witcher 39
Graham Lee Copyrighted Material

6 Compatibilism and the Law of Surprise: Myth, Free Will, Destiny, and Hedgehogs 48
Shane J. Ralston

7 Silver or Steel?: Rethinking Rational Choice in an Irrational World 55
Erin Williams and Darian J. Shump

8 Nothing Is Ever Black and White: Existentialism in Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt 63
Tim Miechels

Feminism 71

9 “This Is the Version of Myself I Have to Be”: Understanding Yennefer’s Feminism(s) 73
Edwardo Pérez

10 “They Took My Choice, I Want It Back”: Infertility in The Witcher 84
Zoe L. Tongue

11 Ciri’s Agency and Autonomy: Princess, Sorceress, and Witcher Girl 92
Emily Vega and Walter Barta

Race and Culture 101

12 Race and Racism in the World of The Witcher 103
Gerald Browning

13 Disadvantage, Demeaning, and Power: Is Geralt of Rivia Being Discriminated Against? 109
Wulf Loh

14 “I’m Part Elf, I’m Part Human”: Understanding Racism in The Witcher 117
Edwardo Pérez

Magic 127

15 Magic and the Elder Speech in The Witcher 129
Andriy Ivanchenko

16 Worlds within Words: Names and Naming in The Witcher 137
Fiona Tomkinson

17 Between Two Camps in the Swamps of Velen: Platonism and Naturalism in the Worlds of The Witcher 146
Steven Kammerer

18 “Witch Hunts Will Never Be About Witches”: Scapegoating and Stereotypes of Persecution 156
Ryan Smock

Postmodernism 165

19 The Witcher as Postmodern Fairytale 167
Emily Vega and Walter Barta

20 Shocks of Destiny: The Witcher’s Unlawful Surprise 177
Corry Shores

21 Post-Apocalyptic Prognostications in The Witcher 184
Matthew Crippen

Political Philosophy 195

22 King Foltest, John Locke, and Political Sovereignty in Temeria 197
John P. Irish

23 Stolen Mutagens and Frustrated Neutrality: Carl Schmitt and “the Political” in The Witcher 205
Florian R.R. van der Zee

24 Sometimes You Have to Pick Sides: Against Geralt’s Neutrality 214
Matthew Brake

Monsters 223

25 Origin and Desires as Monster Makers in The Witcher 225
Julie Loveland Swanstrom and Victoria Lyle

26 The Witcher and the Monstrous Feminine 236
Yael Cameron

27 The Dialectics of Monstrosity 244
Paul Giladi

Index 253

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]
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