Bridgerton and Philosophy

Call for Abstracts

Bridgerton and Philosophy

Edited by Jessica Miller

The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

Please circulate and post widely. Apologies for cross-posting.

To propose ideas for future volumes in the Blackwell series please contact the Series Editor, William Irwin, williamirwin@kings.edu.

Contributors of accepted essays will receive an honorarium. Abstracts and subsequent essays should be philosophically substantial but accessible, written to engage the intelligent lay reader.

Essays may focus on the Netflix series (including Queen Charlotte), the books, or both.

Possible themes and topics might include, but are not limited to, the following:

Love and marriage

“And is that not what a good marriage should mean? Bringing out each other’s best?”: Marriage as a path to virtue
“You wish to follow your heart, and I wish to nurture my mind.”: Refusing heteronormativity
“There seems to be no place in society for us, except at the edge of things.”: Single by choice
“Perhaps she realized that marriage is, in fact, a prison for women.”: Marriage and monogamy
“I love all of you. Even the parts that you believe are too dark and too shameful. Every scar. Every flaw. Every imperfection. I love you.”: Unconditional vs. conditional love
“She would be the making of him.”: The place of love in a good life

Sexual desire

“I desire you. I burn for you. I can’t sleep at night for wanting you.”: Defining sexual desire
Privileging the female gaze in Bridgerton
“I trusted you. More than anyone in this world. And you took advantage.”: Nonconsensual sex
Sex work in Bridgerton
Sex, power, and shame in Bridgerton

Race, gender, and class in Bridgerton

The appeal of Bridgerton to its (mostly) female audience
Color-conscious or color-blind?: Bridgerton’s alternate multiracial history
“Clearly, you have no knowledge of the standards of female beauty.”: Gendering beauty
“The dark, brooding types get all the women.”: Conceptions of masculinity in Bridgerton
“Didn’t all women like to shop?”: Conceptions of femininity in Bridgerton
“The unearned advantages of your birth.”: Conceptions of class in Bridgerton
Eloise Bridgerton: Feminist or frivolous?
Glamorizing wealth in Bridgerton

Ethics in politics and in society

“We could be an even better team without the restrictions of this godforsaken society.”: Autonomy and freedom
“The ton is abuzz with a most sordid tale.”: The ethics of gossip
“Lady Whistledown is someone free and unencumbered by society”: The ethics and politics of Lady Whistledown

Metaphysics and epistemology

“I am not the same woman you once knew.”: Character, time, and memory
“Diamond of the first water.”: World-structuring metaphors and meaning
“Only the most delectable morsel of knowledge could bring such bemusement to Her Majesty the Queen.”: Ways of knowing
“Is anything more exhilarating than taking a gamble?”: Risk and luck
“Before the discerning eyes of the ton.”: Social epistemology and collective action
“I am certain you will find your purpose one day. Everyone must eventually.”: Meaning and purpose

Virtues and vices

“However difficult forgiving someone may be, it is necessary to move forward.”: Apologies and forgiveness
“It takes courage to live outside the traditional expectations of society.”: Social conventions
“Pride, Your Grace, it’ll cost you everything and leave you with nothing.”: Pride and humility
“Just remember to remain composed. And control your emotions.”: The power and danger of emotions
“I happen to believe a lady’s business is her own.”: Confidentiality and disclosure
“Can the ends ever justify such wretched means?”: Utilitarian calculations and the pursuit of the good
Betrayed friendship: Penelope Featherington and Eloise Bridgerton

Other

Fatness and fatphobia in Bridgerton Season 3 and its reception
Watch fobs, top hats, and tailcoats: standing out while fitting in: the aesthetics and politics of fashion
Boxing, croquet, and fox hunting: sport as metaphor (for masculinity, marriage, business)
“Marina had spent her entire life, or at least the entire life he’d known, melancholy.”: Depressive illness, care, and vulnerability
Familial love and duty among the six Bridgerton siblings
“I am a madman. In my mind, there are different worlds creeping in.”: Understanding mental illness
“The next thing I knew, my courses stopped, and I found myself with child”: Unplanned pregnancy
“You’re required to love us even when we vex you.”: What parents and children owe one another
“We are not all guaranteed a fairy-tale ending.”: Stoicism

Submission Guidelines: