The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy : Respect My Philosophah!

Description

What can Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and Stan teach us about imagination, logic, and reason? Is South Park anti-religion? Is this tiny town in the Rockies democratic, anarchic, or something else? Will Mr. Garrison and Big Gay Al ever be happy together in gay marriage? In the six years since the onginal publication of South Park and Philosophy, the lives of Stan. Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny have become only more dysfunctional-too much dysfunctionality to pass up, in fact. Reflecting this wealth of fearless new comedic material, The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy presents a compilation of serious philosophical reflections on the twisted insights of the characters in TV’s most irreverent animated series. Burning philosophical questions addressed by notable thinkers in this new volume include blasphemy and Scientology, the problems of evil and guilt, and why the Crack Baby Athletic Association is wrong on so many levels. Topical issues warranting further philosophical consideration include the problem of Big Gay Al and marriage, faith in God in a world of Cartmanland-type evil, and. of course, if Kyle was on to something when he questioned whether his existence was reality or just a dream. Combining an irreverence of its own with the minimal legal amount of philosophy, The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy allows readers to gain a deeper appreciation for South Park and a greater respect for the philosophah that springs from “Out of the potty-mouths of babes ..." Robert Arp is an analyst working with the US government. He has done data modeling work as an ontologist, and has taught philosophy courses at colleges and universities, too. His interests include philosophy of biology, ontology in the informaton science sense, and philosophy and pop culture. Kevin S. Decker teaches philosophy at Eastern Washington University, where he is also an Associate Dean of the College of Arts. Letters, and Education. His research interests are American pragmatism. Continental philosophy, ethics, philosophy and pop culture, and social theory. William Irwin is Professor of Philosophy at King's College. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as co editor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles including Superman and Philosophy, Black Sabbath and Philosophy, and Spider-Man and Philosophy. Enlightenment from the "South Park" gang faster than you can say, "Screw you guys, I'm going home"! "The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy: Respect My Philosophah!" presents a compilation of serious philosophical reflections on the twisted insights voiced by characters in TV's most irreverent animated series.Offers readers a philosophically smart and candid approach to one of television's most subversive and controversial shows as it enters its 17th seasonDraws sharp parallels between the irreverent nature of "South Park" and the inquiring and skeptical approach of Western philosophyJourneys deep beyond the surface of the show's scatological humor to address the perennial questions raised in "South Park" and the contemporary social and political issues that inspire each episodeUtilizes familiar characters and episodes to illustrate such philosophical topics as moral relativism, freedom of expression, gay marriage, blasphemy, democracy, feminism, animal ethics, existential questions, and much more. It's a Bigger, Longer & Uncut version of the highly acclaimed "South Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today"--and is guaranteed to be much funnier than killing Kenny Cover Back Cover Title Contents Introduction: “Well, I’m Afraid It’s About to Happen Again”: Introducing The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy Part I: Doing Philosophical Things with South Park 1. Flatulence and Philosophy: A Lot of Hot Air, or the Corruption of Youth? Oh my God! They Killed Socrates! You Bastards! Cartman Gets a Banal Probe 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 Notes 2. You Know, I Learned Something Today: Stan Marsh and the Ethics of Belief Belief and Evidence Faith, Self-Interest, and Evidence What’s the Harm, Dude? Inquiry, Hard Work, and Progress Notes 3. “Imaginationland,” Terrorism, and the Difference Between Real and Imaginary Critical Thinking and Theory Unimaginative Leadership? Just Because They’re Imaginary Doesn’t Mean They’re Not Real Only You Can Help Us Win This Battle Notes 4. Dude, Listen to Reason! Logic Lessons Inside and Outside South Park If You Do Drugs, Then You’re a Hippie Deductions and Inductions The Good, the Bad, and … Well, That’s It Really “If Chewbacca Lives on Endor, You Must Acquit” Slippery Slopes The Defense Rests Note Part II: South Park and … Religion 5. Science, Religion, South Park, and God Hail Science! Hail Science! Being Too Soft? Ha, Ha, Ha. You Believe in a Supernatural Being Maybe Just Believing in God Makes God Exist Oh My Science! Getting Rid of All of the Isms Notes 6. “Your Magic Is No Match for Our Powers Combined!”—Religious Pluralism and the Search for Truth Let’s Meet the Super Best Friends Pick Any Religion, and Picture It in Your Mind Go God Go 2 + 2 = 5 “David Blaine Will Now Eat His Own Head” You Gotta Have Faith Waiting for God (Oh!) Notes 7. Cartmanland and the Problem of Evil “And That’s It?” The Story of Job The Sweet Milk of Our Tears “You Are Up There!” Free Hat, Free Willzyx, Free Will “Are You There God? It’s Me, Jesus” “Go God Go” Notes Part III: South Park versus … Religion 8. “Respect My Religiositah!”—South Park and Blasphemy Don’t Make Fun of My Faith! Suck My Balls: Is Nothing Sacred? Can’t We All Just Get Along? Comedy Central Caves In 200–201: The Cartoon Wars Escalate and Guess Who Caves Again? Is South Park Responsible for the Decline of Western Civilization? Notes 9. Mary’s Menses and Morality: Blasphemy in South Park 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 Just Pissing People Off Notes 10. South Park, The Book of Mormon, and How Religious Fundamentalists Always Find a Way to Be Naive and Arrogant at the Same Time A Mormon Just Believes You’re Making Things Up Again 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) I Am a Latter-Day Saint! Notes Part IV: Respecting My Authoritah! in South Park 11. Juvenile Hijinks With Serious Subtext: Dissent and Democracy in South Park Karl Popper, the Open Society, and Its Enemies South Park and the “Enemies” Not Tolerating a Tolerance for Intolerance Thomas Jefferson and the Foundations of Modern Democracy Notes 12. Of Marx and Mantequilla: Labor and Immigration in “The Last of the Meheecans” Work, Proletariat Work Of Jobs and Meheecans Window… Wiiiiiiindow: The (Mis)uses of Meheecan Labor Power Marx, Race, and Nation All You Have to Lose Is Your Encadenamientos Notes 13. “Vote or Die, Bitch”—Does Every Vote Count in a Two-Party System? Enfranchised? So What! Going to (Electoral) College Liberty or Death? Vote for Me, and Only for Me You Wanna (Third) Party? Stability in a Political Storm Notes 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 Moral in a Nutshell Notes Part V: Liber-arianism in South Park 15. Cartman Shrugged: South Park and Libertarian Philosophy High Philosophy and Low Comedy Speaking the Unspeakable A Plague on Both Your Houses Defending the Undefendable The Town of South Park versus Harbucks The Great Gnome Mystery Solved The Wal-Mart Monster Notes 16. Sitting Downtown at Kentucky Fried Chicken: One Toke Over the Line Libertarianism and Legislating Lifestyles In Harm’s Way? Drugs Are Bad, M’Kay Mary Jane, M.D. 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.” Douchebag Prisoners’ Dilemma “Sharon, You Got a Scrotum Coat? Lucky!” Notes 17. Cat Urine, Medicinal Fried Chicken, and Smoking: South Park’s Anti-Paternalistic Libertarianism 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 Notes Part VI: There’s a Time and a Place for Everything, Children 18. You (Still) Can’t Get Married, You’re Faggots: Mrs. Garrison and the Gay Marriage Debate 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 Notes 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 Notes 20. Aesthetic Value, Ethos, and Phil Collins: The Power of Music in South Park “Maybe I Can Put It Best in the Words of a Timeless Song” Diegesis in South Park Musical Spraying Music to Move Plato’s Soul Phil Collins and Aesthetic Value Schopenhauer and “Death” The Only Way It Works Is Through Music Notes Contributors Index