Ethics of Care through BTS’s Lyricism Courtney Lazore Over the last several years, BTS, the seven-member pop ensemble from South Korea, has achieved unprecedented success on the global pop scene. ARMY, the group’s fandom, has a lot to be proud of: several Grammy nominations, multiple chart-topping albums, and a history of sold-out stadiums, among other…
Should droids be free? Should clone troopers? What political and ethical ideas ground resistance and rebellion? What’s wrong with the way women are portrayed in Star Wars? Does Han Solo have a philosophical worldview? Was Galen Erso responsible for the destruction of Alderaan? Should you eat Baby Yoda? “This is the Way.” In Star Wars and Philosophy…
When Tech Meets Tradition How Wakandan Technology Transcends Anti-Blackness Timothy E. Brown *This essay appears as Chapter 16 in Black Panther and Philosophy. Black Panther was more empowering for me than I thought it would be. Here we had a mainstream film about an ultra-advanced African nation, set in Marvel’s mostly-white cinematic universe. And there…
Competing Ethical Systems in Ghost of Tsushima by Armond Boudreaux In its depiction of medieval Japanese culture, its astonishingly beautiful landscapes and imagery, and its hyper-realistic combat, Ghost of Tsushima is ground-breaking. One remarkable thing about the game that might have gone relatively unnoticed, however, is the way in which it invites a sophisticated…
Darkest Dungeon and Ethics Making the Most of a Bad Situation James Cartlidge Darkest Dungeon is a critically acclaimed, award-winning video game developed by Red Hook Studios which, since its release in 2016, has maintained a strong cult following. It tells a story of grim, medieval Lovecraftian horror and raises deep, difficult ethical questions in…
Masters and Caves in a Post-Magic Age: He-Man and Philosophy Jeremy E. Scarbrough Masters of the Universe dominated children’s entertainment in the 1980s and it continues to enchant new generations and re-enchant original fans. Through innovative and unforgettable toys, a cartoon series, a feature film—introducing She-Ra and subsequently launching the Princess of Power series—a live-action…
Money Heist The Philosophical Bond of Resistance Caterina Del Sordo Money Heist originally appeared as a Spanish TV show called “La Casa de Papel”. Netflix acquired global streaming rights in December 2017, and within a few months the series became one of the most watched TV shows in the world and the most watched non-English…
Why We Need Ted Lasso and Philosophy David & Marybeth Baggett The growing popularity of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso is a bit of a surprise, given its inauspicious beginnings as a satirical NBC Sports promotion back in 2013. Premiering last August, this breakout hit has now garnered two Golden Globe nominations—for the show and lead…
Super Bowl Gambling—Daring the Odds and Gods Now and then someone plays with us—good old chance. Nietzsche, The Gay Science, #277 Alexander E. Hooke To spice up this weekend’s Super Bowl, you might place a bet on who will score the first touchdown, total points scored by halftime, or the player with the most…
A Class Act Explaining Karl Marx with Indiana Jones Christopher M. Innes Identifying Indy’s social class is not why we typically follow his brave pursuits. We watch Indy for his audacious and enterprising exploration of the ancient world and place him in a class of his own, and it’s this uniqueness we’d like to keep.…
The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series 