The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy
Read The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy Online
Authors: Kevin S. Decker Robert Arp William Irwin
Contents
Introduction: “Well, I’m Afraid It’s About to Happen Again”
Part I: Doing Philosophical Things with South Park
Oh my God! They Killed Socrates! You Bastards!
Friendship Kicks Ass! The Dialogues of Kyle and Stan
An Apology for South Park: Getting in Touch with Your Inner Cartman
The Talking Cure for Our Culture
2 You Know, I Learned Something Today
Faith, Self-Interest, and Evidence
Inquiry, Hard Work, and Progress
3 “Imaginationland,” Terrorism, and the Difference Between Real and Imaginary
Just Because They’re Imaginary Doesn’t Mean They’re Not Real
Only You Can Help Us Win This Battle
If You Do Drugs, Then You’re a Hippie
The Good, the Bad, and … Well, That’s It Really
“If Chewbacca Lives on Endor, You Must Acquit”
Part II: South Park and … Religion
5 Science, Religion, South Park, and God
Ha, Ha, Ha. You Believe in a Supernatural Being
Maybe Just Believing in God Makes God Exist
Getting Rid of All of the Isms
6 “Your Magic Is No Match for Our Powers Combined!”
Let’s Meet the Super Best Friends
Pick Any Religion, and Picture It in Your Mind
“David Blaine Will Now Eat His Own Head”
7 Cartmanland and the Problem of Evil
“And That’s It?” The Story of Job
Free Hat, Free Willzyx, Free Will
“Are You There God? It’s Me, Jesus”
Part III: South Park Versus … Religion
Suck My Balls: Is Nothing Sacred?
200–201: The Cartoon Wars Escalate and Guess Who Caves Again?
Is South Park Responsible for the Decline of Western Civilization?
What in God’s Name Is Blasphemy?
Do You Care at All About People’s Feelings? A Utilitarian Perspective
South Park Has the Potential to Make People Think
You Have to Hit Them With a Sledgehammer
Boys Should Be With Girls, That’s Heavenly Father’s Plan
God Has a Plan for All of Us (That Plan Involves Me Getting My Own Planet)
Part IV: Respecting My Authoritah! in South Park
11 Juvenile Hijinks With Serious Subtext
Karl Popper, the Open Society, and Its Enemies
Not Tolerating a Tolerance for Intolerance
Thomas Jefferson and the Foundations of Modern Democracy
Window… Wiiiiiiindow: The (Mis)uses of Meheecan Labor Power
All You Have to Lose Is Your Encadenamientos
Stability in a Political Storm
14 Socioeconomic Darwinism from a South Park Perspective
Class Warfare Over the One-Percent Fat Fucking Pigs
Zombie See, Zombie Do Among the Economic Undead
Corporate CEOs as Underpants Gnomes
Part V: Liber-arianism in South Park
High Philosophy and Low Comedy
The Town of South Park versus Harbucks
The Great Gnome Mystery Solved
16 Sitting Downtown at Kentucky Fried Chicken
Libertarianism and Legislating Lifestyles
I’ll Make Sure You’re Hooked Up for Life
Fuck You, You Intersubjective Fuck!
“I Just Want You to Look at Me When We Make Love, and Not Just at My Balls.”
“Sharon, You Got a Scrotum Coat? Lucky!”
17 Cat Urine, Medicinal Fried Chicken, and Smoking
Self-Ownership and Paternalism
Consequentialist Reasons to Avoid Paternalism
Deontological Reasons to Avoid Paternalism
The Final Say As to How to Run One’s Life
Part VI: There’s a Time and a Place for Everything, Children
18 You (Still) Can’t Get Married, You’re Faggots
My God, Nature, and the Dictionary Say “No!”
You Think Kids Can Be Raised by Queers?
They’re Going to Allow Queers and Homos to Get Married, Huh?
Teacher, Our Egg Is Fine−Gays Can Get Married
Being “Butt Buddies” Isn’t the Same as Being Married
19 Cute and Cuddly Animals versus Yummy Animals
All Animals Are Created Equal … Not Really! (and the Japanese Hate Whales and Dolphins)
Tortured Baby Cows and Vaginitus
Kids versus Adults and Cuddly Animals versus Yummy Animals
The Line Goes Here, Not There!
Don’t Worry, You Probably Won’t Turn into a Giant Pussy
Fun with Animals and Crazy Animal Rights Activists
20 Aesthetic Value, Ethos, and Phil Collins
“Maybe I Can Put It Best in the Words of a Timeless Song”
Phil Collins and Aesthetic Value
The Only Way It Works Is Through Music
Series editor: William Irwin
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 idiot.” 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.
Already published in the series
:
24 and Philosophy: The World According to Jack
Edited by Jennifer Hart Weed, Richard Brian Davis, and Ronald Weed
30 Rock and Philosophy: We Want to Go to There
Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy: Curiouser and Curiouser
Edited by Richard Brian Davis
Arrested Development and Philosophy: They’ve Made a Huge Mistake
Edited by Kristopher Phillips and J. Jeremy Wisnewski
The Avengers and Philosophy: Earth’s Mightiest Thinkers
Edited by Mark D. White
Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul
Edited by Mark D. White and Robert Arp
Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Knowledge Here Begins Out There
Edited by Jason T. Eberl
The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Aristotle, Locke
Edited by Dean Kowalski
The Big Lebowski and Philosophy: Keeping Your Mind Limber with Abiding Wisdom
Edited by Peter S. Fosl
Black Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering Reality
Edited by William Irwin
The Daily Show and Philosophy: Moments of Zen in the Art of Fake News
Edited by Jason Holt
Downton Abbey and Philosophy: The Truth Is Neither Here Nor There
Edited by Mark D. White
Family Guy and Philosophy: A Cure for the Petarded
Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski
Final Fantasy and Philosophy: The Ultimate Walkthrough
Edited by Jason P. Blahuta and Michel S. Beaulieu
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
Green Lantern and Philosophy: No Evil Shall Escape this Book
Edited by Jane Dryden and Mark D. White
Heroes and Philosophy: Buy the Book, Save the World
Edited by David Kyle Johnson
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
Inception and Philosophy: Because It’s Never Just a Dream
Edited by David Johnson
Iron Man and Philosophy: Facing the Stark Reality
Edited by Mark D. White
Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its Reasons
Edited by Sharon M. Kaye
Mad Men and Philosophy: Nothing Is as It Seems
Edited by James South and Rod Carveth
Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain Surgery
Edited by William Irwin
The Office and Philosophy: Scenes from the Unfinished Life
Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski
South Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today
Edited by Robert Arp
Spider-Man and Philosophy: The Web of Inquiry
Edited by Jonathan Sanford
Terminator and Philosophy: I’ll Be Back, Therefore I Am
Edited by Richard Brown and Kevin S. Decker
True Blood and Philosophy: We Wanna Think Bad Things with You
Edited by George Dunn and Rebecca Housel
Twilight and Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians, and the Pursuit of Immortality
Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski
The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles
Edited by Gregory Bassham
The Ultimate Lost and Philosophy: Think Together, Die Alone
Edited by Sharon Kaye
The Walking Dead and Philosophy: Shotgun. Machete. Reason
.
Edited by Christopher Robichaud
Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach Test
Edited by Mark D. White
X-Men and Philosophy: Astonishing Insight and Uncanny Argument in the Mutant X-Verse
Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski
Superman and Philosophy: What Would the Man of Steel Do?
Edited by Mark D. White
The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy: More Moments of Zen, More Moments of Indecision Theory
Edited by Jason Holt
