Philosophy Can Be Entertaining
There is a lot of ancient wisdom on living the good life, however, there are also some excellent modern moral philosophers who continue to advance the field and apply it specifically to our current situations. I particularly enjoy how comedians and video series can provide extremely entertaining insights on important issues.
Advanced thinking on values and the impacts of decisions we make doesn’t have to be a dry and boring subject. I am happy that I was introduced to The Good Place tv series on Netflix and learned that the philosophical concepts are backed up by some of the best ancient and present day moral philosophers. Why create fictional sources when real sources have so much depth and value. Truly a feast for geeks interested in these subjects.
The Good Place TV Series
The Good Place is about a woman, Eleanor, who wakes up in a place loosely similar to some ideas about heaven that is reserved for only the most ethical people. Eleanor realizes she was sent there by mistake and must cover it up or risk being sent to the Bad Place (aka Hell). The primary way that Eleanor tries to stay in heaven is to learn to be good, and she is helped with that by being taught most of the major strains of moral philosophy in the West—from deontologicalism to utilitarianism to contractualism. Hilariously, it doesn’t go smoothly as being good isn’t that easy.
The Good Place – Wikipedia
The Good Place received critical acclaim for its originality, writing, acting, setting, and tone. The first season’s twist ending and the show’s exploration and creative use of ethics and philosophy were specifically praised. Among other accolades, it received a Peabody Award and three Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. It was nominated for 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series for its third and fourth seasons.
The Good Place Had Consulting Philosophers
The Superorganizers blog has a post, The “consulting philosopher” on The Good Place shares her process for thinking and writing , about Dr. Pamela Hieronymi who is one of the many moral philosophers that are consulted for the show. More about Pamela can be read at Pamela Hieronymi website.
Dig Deeper Into the Good Place Ideas
If you want to dig a little deeper to the ideas and philosophies referenced in the show check out the book on this exact topic:
The Good Place and Philosophy: Everything is Forking Fine! (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) eBook : William Irwin, Engels, Kimberly S.: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Examples
If you liked The Good Place book you might also like other books in The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series.
The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series believes a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and a healthy helping of popular culture clears the cobwebs from Kant. Philosophy has had a public relations problem for a few centuries now. This series aims to change that, showing that philosophy is relevant to your life–and not just for answering the big questions like “To be or not to be?” but for answering the little questions: “To watch or not to watch South Park?†Thinking deeply about TV, movies, and music doesn’t make you a “complete nerd.” In fact it might make you a philosopher, someone who believes the unexamined life is not worth living and the unexamined cartoon is not worth watching.
Some selected examples of books already published in the series:
Arrested Development and Philosophy: They’ve Made a Huge Mistake
Edited by Kristopher G. Phillips and J. Jeremy Wisnewski
Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul
Edited by Mark D. White and Robert Arp
The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Aristotle, Locke
Edited by Dean Kowalski
Black Mirror and Philosophy
Edited by David Kyle Johnson
The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy: More Moments of Zen, More Indecision Theory
Edited by Jason Holt
Disney and Philosophy: Truth, Trust, and a Little Bit of Pixie Dust
Edited by Richard B. Davis
Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper Than Swords
Edited by Henry Jacoby
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy: Everything Is Fire
Edited by Eric Bronson
The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles
Edited by Gregory Bassham
The Hobbit and Philosophy: For When You’ve Lost Your Dwarves, Your Wizard, and Your Way
Edited by Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson
House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies
Edited by Henry Jacoby
The Hunger Games and Philosophy: A Critique of Pure Treason
Edited by George Dunn and Nicolas Michaud
The Office and Philosophy: Scenes from the Unfinished Life
Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski
The Ultimate Star Trek and Philosophy: The Search for Socrates
Edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker
The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy: You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned
Edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker
Superman and Philosophy: What Would the Man of Steel Do?
Edited by Mark D. White
Twilight and Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians, and the Pursuit of Immortality
Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski