Harry Potter and Philosophy

[Shawn Klein]

I am proud to announce the publication of a book I co-edited with David 
Baggett: "Harry Potter And Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts."

This book is the latest in the Open Court series on Pop Culture and 
Philosophy.  This series includes "The Simpsons and Philosophy," "The 
Matrix and Philosophy," "The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy", and several 
others volumes.  The idea is to use a feature of pop culture, like Harry 
Potter, as a way to talk about philosophy and raise philosophical 
questions. For instance, several essays use Volder....sorry, You-Know-Who 
and company to discuss the nature of evil.  Other essays use Rowling's 
treatment of time and time-travel as a jumping off point to talk about the 
philosophy and nature of time.  Here is the table of contents for you'll to 
get a picture of the book:

1. The Courageous Harry Potter by Tom Morris
2. Dursley Duplicity: The Morality and Psychology of Self-Deception by 
Diana Mertz Hsieh
3. Voldemort's Agents, Malfoy's Cronies, and Hagrid's Chums: Friendship in 
Harry Potter  by Harald Thorsrud
4. Feminism and Equal Opportunity: Hermione and the Women of Hogwarts by 
Mimi R. Gladstein
5. Heaven, Hell, and Harry Potter by Jerry L. Walls
6. Magic, Science, and the Ethics of Technology by Benjamin J. Bruxvoort 
Lipscomb and W. Christopher Stewart
7. The Mirror of Erised: Why We Should Heed Dumbledore's Warning  by Shawn 
E. Klein
8. Kreacher's Lament: S.P.E.W. as a Parable on Discrimination, 
Indifference, and Social Justice by Steven W. Patterson
9. Is Ambition a Virtue? Why Slytherin Belongs at Hogwarts by Steven W. 
Patterson
10. A Skewed Reflection: The Nature of Evil by David and Catherine Deavel
11. Voldemort, Boethius, and the Destructive Effects of Evil  by Jennifer 
Hart Weed
12. Magic, Muggles, and Moral Imagination by David Bagget
13. Finding Platform 9?: The Idea of a Different Reality by Gareth B. Matthews
14. Space, Time, and Magic  by Michael Silberstein
15. Why Voldemort Won't Just Die Already: What Wizards Can Teach Us about 
Personal Identity by Jason T.Eberl
16. The Prophecy-Driven Life: Foreknowledge and Freedom at Hogwarts by 
Gregory Bassham

For an even better sample, essays #3 and 14 are online.

Voldemort's Agents, Malfoy's Cronies, and Hagrid's Chums: Friendship in 
Harry Potter  by Harald Thorsrud
http://www.hp-lexicon.org/essays/essay-friendship.html

Space, Time, and Magic  by Michael Silberstein
http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/editorials/edit-silberstein.shtml

The book is now available at most major bookstores and online at:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0812694554/

Barnes and Nobles:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?isbn=0812694554

Open Court Publishing Co.:
http://www.opencourtbooks.com/books_n/harry_potter.htm

I am sure as fans of Harry Potter many of you will find this book fun, 
enlightening, and enjoyable.  I know that's the way this Harry Potter fan 
felt writing and editing the book.

Thanks,
Shawn



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