Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts

by David Baggett

  “What’s Comin’ Will Come, an’ We’ll Meet It When It Does” (GF, p. 719)

  The relations among the characters in the Potter stories provide vivid confirmation of Aristotle’s insights into what is truly admirable and beneficial about friendship. Hagrid and his friends do indeed have their hearts in the right place. The things they love about each other are not incidental features, but what is most essential to who they are: their general inclinations to act in ways that make them admirable to each other and to us. Having your heart in the right place also requires seeing your friend as another self. This in turn motivates us to see that what is good for ourselves is good for our friends, and vice versa. For these reasons, friendship in the fullest sense offers the greatest safeguard against self-deception and the greatest encouragement to develop ourselves in the most important ways. Friendship provides the characters of Rowling’s books—and indeed all of us—with essential values that make life worthwhile and meaningful.31

  4

  Feminism and Equal Opportunity: Hermione and the Women of Hogwarts

  MIMI R. GLADSTEIN

  Women in the enchanted and enchanting world of Harry Potter are anything but second-class citizens. J.K. Rowling depicts a world where equal opportunity among the sexes is a given. Unlike our Muggle world, equality is not something one needs to strive for; it is as natural a part of this world as flying on broomsticks and nearly headless ghosts. Rowling creates a world where what is and should be important is the “content of one’s character” and the choices one makes. It is not through magic that the goal envisioned by classical liberal feminism is achieved at Hogwarts: equal rights for men and women. Rowling’s world gives reality to John Stuart Mill’s forward-looking words that the subordination of women should be replaced by a principle of “perfect equality, admitting no power or privilege on one side, nor disability on the other.”32

  While the history of Western philosophy is replete with instances of women being left out of the discussion or disregarded as worthy subjects of study, there is a tradition that sees women as equal moral and social agents. From Plato, up through several Enlightenment thinkers, and now contemporary feminists, philosophers have sought to treat women as the equals of men. This chapter will explore how Rowling’s treatment of Hermione and the other important women in the wizarding world exemplifies this important tradition of equality, or at least more closely approximates it than our Muggle world does.

  In the Image of Her Creator

  Hermione Granger is by far the most important female character in the series, so it is not surprising to learn that she is based, in part, on her creator. Asked why she chose to make her main character a boy, Rowling explains that a heroine might have been nice, but that Harry was “almost fully formed” in her imagination when she began writing what she envisioned as the first of a series of seven books. That, she explains, is why her protagonist “isn’t a Harriet instead of a Harry.” Rowling adds that she created Hermione as a key figure in the series, “they couldn’t do it without Hermione.” Hermione is “a very strong character, but then she’s based on me.”33 Rowling gave Harry some of her own characteristics—she wore thick glasses as a girl—but she says that she was perceived as being very bossy and often the brightest one in her class, and those traits she gave to Hermione.

  Not Just One of the Guys

  The close friendship of Harry, Hermione, and Ron is central to the series, projecting an image of equality among the sexes. The Three Musketeers, possibly the most famous trio of literature, are all male. Many other couples or trios in popular literature, such as The Hardy Boys, are also all male. Moreover, if the protagonist is male, often so is the sidekick as in Quixote and Sancho or the Lone Ranger and Tonto. While a female’s presence in the key friendship of a novel is not unique, the ease with which the trio act towards each other highlights how natural equality is in Potter’s world. No one thinks twice about this friendship. Hermione is not a lesser member of the group; she is not just a sidekick to Ron and Harry, but an equal and essential member.

  While the efforts of early feminists were primarily to combat legal restrictions against women, many contemporary feminists focus on liberating women from psychological and emotional dependency on men. Feminists like Colette Dowling have argued that “the deep wish to be taken care of by others—is the chief force holding women down today.”34 We often see this embodied in the stereotypes that a woman must be saved by a man or that she must be taken care of by a man. Contrary to this stereotype, however, Hermione often acts to rescue Harry and Ron at crucial junctures in the plot. From the first book, where her magical ability saves the trio while they are hunting down the Sorcerer’s Stone, to Order of the Phoenix, where Hermione saves them all from the tyranny of Professor Umbridge, Hermione’s power is clear.

  In Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione attempt to sneak out of the Gryffindor dorm to find the Sorcerer’s Stone. When fellow Gryffindor Neville Longbottom hopelessly attempts to prevent them from breaking any more rules, Harry says to Hermione: “Do something” (SS, p. 273). And Hermione does what neither Ron nor Harry can. She utters the charm, “Petrificus Totalus!” that immobilizes Neville. Later in that same chapter, Hermione saves both Ron and Harry from the Devil’s Snare plant. In Order of the Phoenix, Hermione devises and executes a plan to trick the evil Professor Umbridge into her demise so that Harry, Hermione, and the others can get to the Ministry of Magic.

  Further evidence that Hermione doesn’t suffer from the kind of dependence on men that Dowling and other feminists are concerned about is that she is confident in her own intellect and ability. Hermione can take care of herself. She does not wait for her male friends to defend her when Malfoy insults her. Before the ball in Goblet of Fire, he expresses disbelief that anyone would ask her: “You’re not telling me someone’s asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?” (GF, p. 404). Rather than getting her feathers ruffled and retreating, Hermione frightens Malfoy into thinking that Mad-Eye Moody, who had previously turned Malfoy into a ferret, is right behind him. Hermione is not easily intimidated. When Ron warns her against taking on Rita Skeeter, who had caused both Harry and Hagrid such pain with her stories, Hermione refuses to back down.

  Strength of Mind and Moral Virtue

  Mary Wollstonecraft wrote in 1792 that “women are not allowed to have sufficient strength of mind to acquire what really deserves the name of virtue.”35 Her concern was that women were not being educated in a manner that would allow them to learn and practice virtue, thus preventing them from both becoming the equal of men and fulfilling their human nature. Such a problem is not apparent at Hogwarts. Hermione is able to excel not only in her magical education, but in her moral education as well. Her effectiveness is a product of her intellect, hard work, and persistence. She studies hard; she does her homework. In Prisoner of Azkaban, she even uses time travel to take several classes at the same exact time!

  Hard work allows her to help Harry and Ron throughout the series. Harry comments after she had saved them from the Devil’s Snare, “Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione” (SS, p. 278). In contrast, Harry is able to fly a broomstick with little effort and practice. A magic force that he is unaware of protects him, and as an infant, he passively defeats the powerful Lord Voldemort. Many of Harry’s powers and abilities seem to come naturally to him, while Hermione’s come from lots of hard work and practice. Harry struggles with his fame and identity as a great wizard, in part, because it comes so naturally to him. He wonders if he deserves the praise he receives. Hermione, however, never feels unworthy of her success precisely because it is something she has earned through her hard work.

  Hermione’s good study habits and subsequent strength of mind are a crucial part of her character. She excels in school throughout the series and her relentless reading often puts her in position to provide key pieces of information. In Sorcerer’s Stone, she knows how to defeat the Devil’s Snare from paying attention in class. In Goblet
of Fire, she informs Harry and Ron about the reputation of the Durmstrang School of Wizardry. She knows from having read An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe that Durmstrang has a bad reputation because of its emphasis on the Dark Arts. Having read Hogwarts, A History, Hermione knows that the school is hidden and disguised. If Muggles look at it, all they will see is an old ruin with a warning sign: Danger, Do Not Enter, Unsafe.

  Harry often turns to Hermione for help because of her superior knowledge both in and out of the wizarding world. For example, when he is chosen one of the Hogwarts champions to compete in the Triwizard Tournament against the other magical schools, he goes to her for help on accomplishing the first task, getting past the dragon. He asks her to teach him the Summoning Charm and she even skips lunch to do so. Later, they continue working together until the early morning hours when she pronounces him ready. Harry doesn’t seem able to keep up the work without her. When he keeps avoiding practicing for the second task, it is Hermione who is the voice of reason and responsibility, urging him to get on with it.

  Throughout the series, Hermione develops her abilities as a witch, but her talents are not limited to magic. She is also good at logic and figuring out puzzles. When the group finds itself stymied by raging flames in Sorcerer’s Stone, Hermione figures out the clues left on the paper by the seven bottles.36 As she explains, “This isn’t magic—it’s logic—a puzzle. A lot of great wizards haven’t got an ounce of logic, they’d be stuck in here forever” (SS, p. 285). Hermione also displays her logical abilities on the way to school in Prisoner of Azkaban when the trio runs into a sleeping stranger on the Hogwarts Express. While Ron and Harry wonder who this could be, Hermione observantly identifies him as Professor Lupin by looking at the name written on his suitcase. Hermione also quickly deduces what Professor Lupin will teach. “‘That’s obvious,’ whispered Hermione. ‘There’s only one vacancy, isn’t there? Defense Against the Dark Arts’” (PA, p. 75). Logic plays such an important role for philosophy that the influential Austrian philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein, thought that all philosophy was just the “logical clarification of thoughts.”37 Thus, in recognizing the importance of logic, Hermione may have the makings for a great philosopher as well as a great witch.

  As the series progresses, Hermione adds to her admirable character traits a moral and psychological insight that both Harry and Ron seem to lack. When Harry is chosen to represent Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament in Goblet of Fire, Hermione explains Ron’s jealousy to Harry. Patiently, she tells him, “Look, it’s always you who gets all the attention …” (GF, p. 289). And when Harry avoids dealing with it himself and asks her to give Ron a message, she responds, “Tell him yourself. It’s the only way to sort this out” (GF, p. 290).

  As a sign of her moral maturity, Hermione shows concern not just with her own situation, but also for the freedom of others. Like the early nineteenth-century feminists who allied with abolitionists to free the slaves, Hermione is distraught about the plight of house-elves, telling Ron and Harry: “It’s slavery, that’s what it is!” (GF, p. 125). About Winky, Ron makes the predictable excuse: “that’s what she likes, being bossed around …” to which Hermione retorts, “It’s people like you … who prop up rotten and unjust systems, just because you are too lazy to—” (GF, p. 125). When she learns that house-elves have made the delicious meal at Hogwarts, she refuses to eat any more. Hermione takes up the cause of elf rights and works for their equality by creating S.P.E.W., the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, fighting first for short-term gains, such as fair wages and better working conditions. Eventually, she hopes to change the laws about wand use and achieve elf representation in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.38

  While Hermione has been bright, brave, perceptive, and crusading in the books leading up to Order of the Phoenix, it is in that work that she positively shines. As in the other books, Hermione keeps winning points for Gryffindor because she always knows the answers and is able to do the magic first. She is astute enough to understand the political implications of Professor Umbridge’s first speech at Hogwarts; she understands that the Ministry is trying to interfere with the Hogwarts administration. In her role as prefect, she knows the right threat for the right occasion. When Fred and George’s mischief goes awry and they challenge her to do something about it, she threatens them with their mother, which does the trick; they look thunderstruck. After the Cho-kissing incident, when Cho cries as she and Harry kiss, the boys are clueless on the causes of Cho’s crying and Hermione has to explain to them what Cho is going through emotionally.

  In something of a reversal of the popular stereotype that the male is rational and the female is emotional, Harry and Ron are sometimes masses of emotions, while Hermione is the calm voice of reason. Ever the good friend, she even gives up her Christmas ski holiday to help Harry through a difficult time. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny perform an intervention of sorts to bring Harry back to his senses. It is her idea to have Harry teach a select group secret Defense Against the Dark Arts classes to prepare them for the upcoming battles. When the group is caught in Umbridge’s office, Hermione thinks of a plan to thwart her: first crying, then pretending to turn traitor, and finally leading Umbridge to the forest where Grawp, Hagrid’s “little” brother, and the centaurs deal with her. This allows Neville, Ron, Ginny, and Luna to escape, leading to the climax of the novel.

  The character of Hermione plays the important role of underlining and showing Rowling’s vision of a world where what is important—regardless of sex—are people, their choices, and their actions. Hermione is not only just as good as one of the boys; she is often better than they. She excels in school but also in moral character, displaying the strength of mind and virtue that Wollstonecraft saw as essential. She plays key roles in the plot of all the novels, and without her friendship Harry would surely be lost.

  Co-education at Hogwarts

  More evidence of the high value of equal opportunity in Rowling’s world is the co-educational student body at Hogwarts. Girls and boys alike get invitations to be part of each new class. When the prefects are announced, there is a boy and a girl chosen from each house, but it is not a matter of affirmative action or even commitment to diversity—it is a matter of merit. Illustrating Mill’s “perfect equality,” boys and girls are equally able to meet the same high standard to be a prefect.

  A number of female students play minor, but key roles in the series. One important secondary character is the beautiful and popular Cho Chang, whom we first meet in Prisoner of Azkaban but who is more prominent in Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. She is Harry’s first crush and a good Quidditch player to boot. Parvati and Padma are the girls Harry and Ron take to the Yule Ball in Goblet of Fire. While these dates don’t go well for Ron or Harry, both Parvati and Padma join up with Dumbledore’s Army in Order of the Phoenix. Then there is Luna Lovegood, nicknamed “Loony,” who has a vague and distracted manner, but proves herself brave, sensitive, and a valuable ally. She first makes a connection with Harry when she is the only one of the group besides Harry who can see the thestrals (OP, p. 199).

  Both at Hogwarts and in the greater wizarding world, women are not only represented in the traditional roles of schoolgirls, mothers, and teachers, but in the more non-traditional roles as sports heroes. Quidditch is the most popular sport in the wizarding world, and the fact that women play on the teams that are competing for the Quidditch World Cup is a major statement about equality. Rowling handles it artfully. In Goblet of Fire, at the big game, only the last names of the players are announced to the crowd. The reader does not know anything more about the individual players. We are privy to Harry’s thinking as he marvels at the seamless and coordinated movements of Troy, Mullet, and Moran, the Irish Chasers. Not until several pages later do we learn that Mullet is female, when the narrator tells us “Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm …” (GF, p. 109). When play resumes aft
er a foul, Moran has the Quaffle. The reader learns that Moran is also female when Rowling uses the feminine pronoun to describe how Moran is almost knocked off her broom. The inclusion of female Quidditch players at the highest level of the sport is done without a trace of self-consciousness and their inclusion isn’t an issue in the minds of the characters.

  This natural participation and inclusion of girls in sports occurs not only in professional sports, but also at Hogwarts where they participate at a varsity level on co-educational teams. In Sorcerer’s Stone, when team captain Oliver Wood addresses the team as “men,” Angelina Johnson corrects him and adds “and women.” Angelina is a Chaser for the team, as is Katie Bell. Angelina makes the first score for Gryffindor in the key game of Sorcerer’s Stone; and eventually, she becomes captain . By Prisoner of Azkaban, all three Chasers from the Gryffindor team are girls. When Harry is prevented from playing on the Gryffindor team, Ginny Weasley replaces him as Seeker. Even the umpire, Madam Hooch, is female.