Table of Contents
Popular Culture and Philosophy Series Editor: George A. Reisch
Title Page
Dedication
A Few Start-of-Term Notices
Abbreviations
The Magic of Philosophy
Gryffindor - The Characters of Harry’s World
Chapter 1 - The Courageous Harry Potter
Magic and Virtue
The Virtues at Hogwarts
Feelings of Fear
Harry’s Recipe for Courage
Harry’s Big Step of Faith
Chapter 2 - Dursley Duplicity: The Morality and Psychology of Self-Deception
The Arguments for Self-Deception
The Self-Deceptions of the Dursleys
The Lessons of Dursley Deceit
A Fourth Lesson
Making Sense of Positive Illusions
An Honest Life
Chapter 3 - Voldemort’s Agents, Malfoy’s Cronies, and Hagrid’s Chums: …
Voldemort’s Agents
Malfoy’s Cronies: Crabbe and Goyle
Hagrid’s Chums: Harry, Ron, and Hermione
Aristotle’s Friends
Useful Friends and Pleasant Friends
Friendship in the Fullest Sense
“What’s Comin’ Will Come, an’ We’ll Meet It When It Does” (GF, p. 719)
Chapter 4 - Feminism and Equal Opportunity: Hermione and the Women of Hogwarts
In the Image of Her Creator
Not Just One of the Guys
Strength of Mind and Moral Virtue
Co-education at Hogwarts
Equal Opportunity Beyond Hogwarts
Hufflepuff - Morality in Rowling’s Universe
Chapter 5 - Heaven, Hell, and Harry Potter
Are We Truly Happy?
Is Death Really a Good Thing?
So Why Not Take the Money and Run?
Magical Moral Obligations
Some Damned Good Reasons
Chapter 6 - Magic, Science, and the Ethics of Technology
Magic, Science, and Harry Potter
Interlude: Fantasy and Moral Epistemology
Rowling’s Ethics of Magic
Back to Reality
Chapter 7 - The Mirror of Erised: Why We Should Heed Dumbledore’s Warning
The Mirror of Erised
Dumbledore’s Warning
Knowledge and Truth
Descartes’s Dreams
The Experience Machine
To Plug In …
… Or Not to Plug In
Doing Certain Things
Being a Certain Way
Back to the Mirror
Heeding Dumbledore’s Warning
Chapter 8 - Kreacher’s Lament: S.P.E.W. as a Parable on Discrimination, …
Discrimination and Prejudice
What Is Wrong with Prejudice?
Why S.P.E.W. Doesn’t Work
Indifference, Security, and Social Justice
Slytherin - Knockturn Alley and the Dark Arts
Chapter 9 - Is Ambition a Virtue? Why Slytherin Belongs at Hogwarts
Aristotle and the Sorting Hat
The Virtue of Slytherin House
Ambition as a Virtue
What We Can Learn from Slytherin House
Chapter 10 - A Skewed Reflection: The Nature of Evil
Evil Doesn’t Exist
Evil Protects Itself and Grows through Deception
Evil Is a Result of Free Choice
Seeing Clearly, Acting Bravely
Chapter 11 - Voldemort, Boethius, and the Destructive Effects of Evil
Boethius and the Destructive Effects of Evil
Voldemort and the Destructive Effects of Evil
Voldemort and Moral Education
Chapter 12 - Magic, Muggles, and Moral Imagination
The Devil Made Harry Do It
What’s Wrong with Harry?
Answering the Moral Charge
Is Hogwarts a Wiccan Academy?
Imagination and Morality
Imagination and Faith
Ravenclaw - Many-Flavored Topics in Metaphysics
Chapter 13 - Finding Platform 9 : The Idea of a Different Reality
The Oz Stories
The Ship of Theseus
The Narnia Chronicles
Hogwarts
Hogwarts and Narnia
Hogwarts and Oz
Hogwarts and Our World
Seeing but Not Noticing
Science and Alchemy
Chapter 14 - Space, Time, and Magic
Where and When: The Harry Potter Universe and Our Own World
Magical and Non-Magical Places
How: Travel by Magical Means
Time Travel: The Tensed versus the Tenseless View of Time
Time Travel in the Harry Potter Universe
What We’ve Learned About Harry Potter’s World
Chapter 15 - Why Voldemort Won’t Just Die Already: What Wizards Can Teach Us …
Disembodied Survival and the Nature of Persons
Teletransportation and Personal Identity
Chapter 16 - The Prophecy-Driven Life: Fate and Freedom at Hogwarts
The Scientific Challenge to Freedom
The Religious Challenge to Freedom
The Paranormal Challenge to Free Will
Reconciling Freedom and Foreknowledge
Hogwarts Emeritus Faculty
Current Hogwarts Faculty
A Wizard’s Index
Copyright Page
Popular Culture and Philosophy ® Series Editor: George A. Reisch
VOLUME 1
Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing (2000)
VOLUME 2
The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh! of Homer (2001)
VOLUME 3
The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real (2002)
VOLUME 4
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale (2003)
VOLUME 5
The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All (2003)
VOLUME 6
Baseball and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Batter’s Box (2004)
VOLUME 9
Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (2004)
VOLUME 12
Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine (2005)
VOLUME 13
Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way (2005)
VOLUME 17
Bob Dylan and Philosophy: It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Thinking) (2006)
VOLUME 18
Harley-Davidson and Philosophy: Full-Throttle Aristotle (2006)
VOLUME 19
Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge Nudge, Think Think! (2006)
VOLUME 23
James Bond and Philosophy: Questions Are Forever (2006)
VOLUME 24
Bullshit and Philosophy: Guaranteed to Get Perfect Results Every Time (2006)
VOLUME 25
The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You Can Think that Can’t Be Thunk (2006)
VOLUME 26
South Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating (2007) Edited by Richard Hanley
VOLUME 28
The Grateful Dead and Philosophy: Getting High Minded about Love and Haight (2007) Edited by Steven Gimbel
VOLUME 29
Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy: How to Philosophize with a Pair of Pliers and a Blowtorch (2007) Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad
VOLUME 30<
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Pink Floyd and Philosophy: Careful with that Axiom, Eugene! (2007) Edited by George A. Reisch
VOLUME 31
Johnny Cash and Philosophy: The Burning Ring of Truth (2008) Edited by John Huss and David Werther
VOLUME 32
Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy: Darkness on the Edge of Truth (2008) Edited by Randall E. Auxier and Doug Anderson
VOLUME 33
Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Mission Accomplished or Mission Frakked Up? (2008) Edited by Josef Steiff and Tristan D. Tamplin
VOLUME 34
iPod and Philosophy: iCon of an ePoch (2008) Edited by D.E. Wittkower
VOLUME 35
Star Trek and Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant (2008) Edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker
VOLUME 36
The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy: I Link Therefore I Am (2008) Edited by Luke Cuddy
VOLUME 37
The Wizard of Oz and Philosophy: Wicked Wisdom of the West (2008) Edited by Randall E. Auxier and Phillip S. Seng
VOLUME 38
Radiohead and Philosophy: Fitter Happier More Deductive (2009) Edited by Brandon W. Forbes and George A. Reisch
VOLUME 39
Jimmy Buffett and Philosophy: The Porpoise Driven Life (2009) Edited by Erin McKenna and Scott L. Pratt
VOLUME 40
Transformers and Philosophy (2009) Edited by John Shook and Liz Stillwaggon Swan
VOLUME 41
Stephen Colbert and Philosophy: I Am Philosophy (And So Can You!) (2009) Edited by Aaron Allen Schiller
VOLUME 42
Supervillains and Philosophy: Sometimes, Evil Is Its Own Reward (2009) Edited by Ben Dyer
VOLUME 43 The Golden Compass and Philosophy:
God Bites the Dust (2009) Edited by Richard Greene and Rachel Robison
VOLUME 44
Led Zeppelin and Philosophy: All Will Be Revealed (2009) Edited by Scott Calef
VOLUME 45
World of Warcraft and Philosophy: Wrath of the Philosopher King (2009) Edited by Luke Cuddy and John Nordlinger
Volume 46
Mr. Monk and Philosophy: The Curious Case of the Defective Detective (2010) Edited by D.E. Wittkower
Volume 47
Anime and Philosophy: Wide Eyed Wonder (2010) Edited by Josef Steiff and Tristan Tamplin
VOLUME 48
The Red Sox and Philosophy: Green Monster Meditations (2010) Edited by Michael Macomber
VOLUME 49
Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad
IN PREPARATION:
Facebook and Philosophy: What’s on Your Mind? (2010) Edited by D.E. Wittkower
Soccer and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Ted Richards
Manga and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Josef Steiff and Adam Barkman
The Onion and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Sharon M. Kaye
Martial Arts and Philosophy: Beating and Nothingness (2010) Edited by Graham Priest and Damon Young
Dune and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Jeffrey Nicholas
Doctor Who and Philosophy (2010) Edited by Paula J. Smithka and Court Lewis
Breaking Bad and Philosophy (2011) Edited by David R. Koepsell
For full details of all Popular Culture and Philosophy® books, visit www.opencourtbooks.com.
To all of our teachers
A Few Start-of-Term Notices
If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts was made possible because of the contributions and collaboration of a mess of Muggles. First we’d like to thank our faculty, who put so much energy and insight into their essays and lesson plans. Their Hermione-like willingness to work so hard to make philosophy with Harry both captivating and substantive was nothing less than inspiring.
Many thanks for the leadership and guiding vision provided by William Irwin and David Ramsay Steele at the Ministry of Magic. Greg Bassham, whose seventh-grade teacher’s paddle came from a branch of the Whomping Willow, also deserves special mention and extra chocolate frogs for his incredible generosity throughout the entire project.
Numerous friends supplied us with their encouragement, correction, and support. In particular: Cathy Chulis, Jerry Walls, Elton Higgs, Stuart Noell, Charissa van der Merwe, Maureen Linker, Ginger Asel, Patrick Stephens, and especially Kimberly Blessing. Each of them deserves some special words of thanks, so here they are: oijasdold and sgnisselb.
Tom Morris offered unflagging enthusiasm and encouragement throughout the entire project, not to mention the inspiration behind our subtitle. Aeon Skoble was a great tutor—providing guidance, suggestions, and advice as needed. Rose Alaimo gave numerous pep talks while lending an ear to interminable updates, which meant countless delays in vacations to Hogsmeade (or even Binghamton). Kristen Klein’s unwavering support and understanding helped make the long hours of studying for the OWLs go by quickly. And Steve Patterson’s help, which immeasurably benefited the book, came in more varieties than Bertie Bott’s Beans.
Paula Chaiken, while driving herself crazy coming up with anagrams for “Quaffle,” provided invaluable assistance as a proofer of the whole manuscript. She was always willing to be honest about what she liked and what she didn’t, even without a truth potion! The book wouldn’t have been the same without her. Abby Myers—whose deepest desire is for a pair of thick, woolen socks—was an excellent student assistant who proofread the entire manuscript and tracked down needed references. Special thanks to both of them, not to mention fifty points for both of their houses.
Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used in referring to the Harry Potter books. All quotations are from the American editions, published by Scholastic, and all page references are to those editions.
Sorcerer’s Stone (SS): Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1998.
Chamber of Secrets (CS): Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Scholastic, 1999.
Prisoner of Azkaban (PA): Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York: Scholastic, 1999.
Goblet of Fire (GF): Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2000.
Order of the Phoenix (OP): Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic, 2003.
The Magic of Philosophy
J.K. Rowling’s universe of menacing trolls and forbidden forests haunts the bestseller lists week in and out, enthralling readers and leaving them hungry for more. All around the globe, words like “Dursley” and “Quidditch” now enrich vocabularies and occupy permanent categories of imagination, conjuring their mesmerizing spells.
Besides being wildly popular, the series has begun to attract the attention of literary scholars and academics. One of the first full-scale scholarly conferences devoted to the Potter books, Nimbus 2003, was held in Orlando, Florida. Covering a wide breadth of literary, cultural, and philosophical topics, this “Harry Potter Symposium” included talks on justice, moral development, the role of women, and heroism. Another such conference was held in summer 2004 in Canada, and Nimbus 2005 is set for the fall of 2005.
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