{"product_id":"the-hobbit-and-philosophy-isbn-9780470405147","title":"The Hobbit and Philosophy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA philosophical exploration of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved classic—just in time for the December 2012 release of Peter Jackson's new film adaptation, \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJ.R.R. Tolkien's \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e is one of the best-loved fantasy books of all time and the enchanting \"prequel\" to \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e. With the help of some of history's great philosophers, this book ponders a host of deep questions raised in this timeless tale, such as: Are adventures simply \"nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things\" that \"make you late for dinner,\" or are they exciting and potentially life-changing events? What duties do friends have to one another? Should mercy be extended even to those who deserve to die?\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eGives you new insights into \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e's central characters, including Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, Gollum, and Thorin and their exploits, from the Shire through Mirkwood to the Lonely Mountain\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eExplores key questions about \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e's story and themes, including: Was the Arkenstone really Bilbo's to give? How should Smaug's treasure have been distributed? Did Thorin leave his \"beautiful golden harp\" at Bag-End when he headed out into the Wild? (If so, how much could we get for that on eBay?)\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eDraws on the insights of some of the world's deepest thinkers, from Confucius, Plato, and Aristotle to Immanuel Kant, William Blake, and contemporary American philosopher Thomas Nagel\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom the happy halls of Elrond's Last Homely House to Gollum's \"slimy island of rock,\" this is a must read for longtime Tolkien fans as well as those discovering Bilbo Baggins and his adventures \"there and back again\" for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thag You Very Buch x\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction: Never Laugh at Live Philosophers 1\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eGregory Bassham and Eric Bronson\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePART ONE DISCOVER YOUR INNER TOOK\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 The Adventurous Hobbit 7\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eGregory Bassham\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 “The Road Goes Ever On and On”: A Hobbit’s Tao 20\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eMichael C. Brannigan\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 Big Hairy Feet: A Hobbit’s Guide to Enlightenment 32\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eEric Bronson\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 Bilbo Baggins: The Cosmopolitan Hobbit 45\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eDennis Knepp\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePART TWO THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE SLIMY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 The Glory of Bilbo Baggins 61\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eCharles Taliaferro and Craig Lindahl-Urben\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 Pride and Humility in The Hobbit 74\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eLaura Garcia\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 “My Precious”: Tolkien on the Perils of Possessiveness 90\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eAnna Minore and Gregory Bassham\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 Tolkien’s Just War 103\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eDavid Kyle Johnson\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 “Pretty Fair Nonsense”: Art and Beauty in The Hobbit 118\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003ePhilip Tallon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 Hobbitus Ludens: Why Hobbits Like to Play and Why We Should, Too 129\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eDavid L. O’Hara\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePART THREE RIDDLES AND RINGS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 “The Lord of Magic and Machines”: Tolkien on Magic and Technology 147\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eW. Christopher Stewart\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e12 Inside The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins and the Paradox of Fiction 161\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eAmy Kind\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e13 Philosophy in the Dark: The Hobbit and Hermeneutics 176\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eTom Grimwood\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePART FOUR BEING THERE AND BACK AGAIN\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e14 Some Hobbits Have All the Luck 193\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eRandall M. Jensen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e15 The Consolation of Bilbo: Providence and Free Will in Middle-Earth 206\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eGrant Sterling\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e16 Out of the Frying Pan: Courage and Decision Making in Wilderland 218\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eJamie Carlin Watson\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 There and Back Again: A Song of Innocence and Experience 235\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eJoe Kraus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCONTRIBUTORS: Our Most Excellent and Audacious Contributors 251\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eINDEX: The Moon Letters 257\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"The value in this approach, of course, is that these essays \u003ci\u003eare \u003c\/i\u003esimple; they are incredibly short (each runs about five pages), and they are clear and accessible.\" (\u003ci\u003eJournal of the Fantastic in the Arts\u003c\/i\u003e, 1 February 2015)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson's anthology of essays, 'The Hobbit and Philosophy', may have an overblown title, but the authors do a good job of focusing on themes like possessiveness, providence and free will, courage and decision-making.\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Times Literary Supplement,\u003c\/i\u003e 21 December 2012)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGregory Bassham\u003c\/b\u003e is Chair of the Philosophy Department at King's College and a professor of philosophy. He edited \u003ci\u003eThe Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e and co-edited \u003ci\u003eThe Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e (Open Court) and \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings and Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEric Bronson\u003c\/b\u003e is a visiting professor in the Humanities Department at York University in Toronto, Canada. He is the editor of \u003ci\u003ePoker and Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e (2012), and co-editor of \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings and Philosophy (2003)\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBaseball and Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e (2011).\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWilliam Irwin\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor of Philosophy at King's College. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling \u003ci\u003eThe Simpsons and Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e and has overseen recent titles including \u003ci\u003eHouse and Philosophy, Batman and Philosophy,\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAlice in Wonderland and Philosophy.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47990258598117,"sku":"NP9780470405147","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780470405147.jpg?v=1761787098","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-hobbit-and-philosophy-isbn-9780470405147","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}