The Devil and Philosophy The Nature of His Game

by Arp, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780812698541
• ISBN10: 0812698541
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-08-19
• Publisher: Open Court

Summary

In The Devil and Philosophy, 34 philosophers explore questions about one of the most recognizable and influential characters (villains?) of all time. From Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion to Bram Stoker's Dracula to Darth Vader to Al Pacino's iconic performance in The Devil's Advocate, this book demonstrates that a little devil goes a long way. From humorous appearances, as in Kevin Smith's film Dogma and Chuck Palahniuk's novels Damned and Doomed, to more villainous appearances, such as Gabriel Byrne's cold outing as Satan in End of Days, The Devil in Philosophy proves that the Devil comes in many forms.

Are there any good arguments for the actual existence of the Devil? Does demonic evil thrive in Gotham City? Can humans really be accountable for all evil? Which truths about the Devil are actual facts? Is Milton correct, in that the Devil believes he is doing good? Through the lenses of Jung, Kant, Kundera, Balkan, Plato, Bradwardine, Aristotle, Hume, Blackburn, Descartes, Lavey, Thoreau, and Aquinas, The Devil and Philosophy takes a philosophical look at one of time's greatest characters.

Author Biography

Robert Arp is a philosopher and author/editor of numerous books, book chapters, and articles on philosophy and philosophy and pop culture. He currently works as a data analyst with the US Army.

Table of Contents

A. Introduction
1. C.S. Lewis's Argument for the Existence of Devils
2. Kant and Demonic Evil Thrive in Gotham City
3. Lewis, Lucifer, and Logic
4. A Little Devil Goes a Long Way
5. Justified True Belief in Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate"
6. What if the Antichrist Doesn't Come?
7. House of Cards: Underwood in the Underworld
8. Of Duty and Demons: How Humans Interact with Demons in Fablehaven
9. The Devil's Democracy: Bill Hicks and Using Stand-Up Comedy to Save Us from the Devil's Deception
10. The Devil's Virtues: Using Modern Films to Reflect the Seven Deadly Sins
11. Should We Call an Exorcist?
12. Epicurus in the Garden of Eden
13. Middle-earth's Devil and Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy
14. Satan: Romantic Hero or Just an Asshole?
15. Satan, the Rejector of God's Will: From Milton to Neil Gaiman
16. Satanism and the Star of Azezel
17. Who Killed the Kennedy's? The Devil Says It Was You and Me
18. The Devil's in the Details: Forensic Science on TV
19. Use the Force, Luke(ifer): Augustine's "Deprivation" and Satan's Free Will
20. Can the Devil Get You?
21. "In a Tight Spot!" The Faustian Characters in the Coen Brothers' Films
22. North of Hell": Slayer, Aquinas & the Problem of Evil
23. Why Satanic Heavy Metal is Better When it's Produced by Actual Satanists
24. We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll: Led Zeppelin and Nietzsche's Notion of Amor Fati
25. A Devilish Paradox: The Freedom to Reign in Hell?
26. Devil Inside: The Devil's Presence in Pop and Rock Music
27. The Soul as Commodity: Marx and the 'Political-Economy' of Soul Selling
28. Sympathy for the Devil Within
29. Devils and Demons and Women
30. "I'm Not a Monster...I'm Just Ahead of the Curve"
31. No Sympathy for the Devil
32. The Devil Inside: Movies, Books, and South Park
33. The Devil's Advocate
34. No, the Devil Did Not Make You Do It!
B. About the authors
C. Index