Supernatural and Philosophy: Metaphysics and Monsters ... for Idjits

Can angels be atheists? Can monsters be moral? What′s the point of Hell? How is natural different from supernatural? Is Hell a democracy with warm weather? Supernatural and Philosophy introduces fans of the show to the big philosophical topics relating to the long–running hit show Supernatural , covering thorny issues in a fun and accessible way. Contributors, themselves philosophical fans of Supernatural , tackle issues ranging from the biological classifications of monsters, to the epistemological problems of ghost hunting, as well as the ultimate questions of life, love, and the moral issues involved in the killing of blood–sucking monsters. Like the great Bobby Singer himself, fans can pore over this tomb, containing essays pertaining to the archaic and monstrous themes of character formation, ethics, and why shows like Supernatural would ever entertain a rational, scientific mind. Even those unfamiliar with the show will find fascinating insights into Heaven, Hell, Angels, Demons, God, Lucifer, and Good and Evil. This unique collection of diverse philosophical essays is written for those who love the self–effacing style of the show′s humor, wit, and self–reflection.

Acknowledgments vii Introduction: Codename: GhostPhacers 1 Part One Of Monsters and Morals 5 1 Are Monsters Members of the Moral Community? 7 Nathan Stout 2 Aristotle’s Metaphysics of Monsters and Why We Love Supernatural 16 Galen A. Foresman and Francis Tobienne, Jr. 3 Hunters, Warriors, Monsters 26 Shannon B. Ford 4 Team Free Will: Something Worth Fighting For 37 Devon Fitzgerald Ralston and Carey F. Applegate Part Two Life, Liberty, and the Apocalypse 47 5 What the Hell Is Going On? 49 Galen A. Foresman 6 Try Hell, It’s a Democracy and the Weather Is Warm 62 Dena Hurst 7 Hunting the American Dream: Why Marx Would Think It’s a Terrible Life 74 Jillian L. Canode 8 Mothers, Lovers, and Other Monsters: The Women of Supernatural 83 Patricia Brace 9 Night of the Living Dead Demons and a Life Worth Living 95 John Edgar Browning Part Three Evil by Design 109 10 Dean Winchester and the Supernatural Problem of Evil 111 Daniel Haas 11 Angels and Atheists 125 Fredrick Curry 12 Oh God, You Devil 139 Danilo Chaib Part Four It’s Supernatural 151 13 Naturally Supernatural 153 James Blackmon with Galen A. Foresman 14 Masculinity and Supernatural Love 169 Stacey Goguen 15 Naturalizing Supernatural 179 Joseph L. Graves, Jr. Contributors: Bona Fide, Card Carrying Wisdom Lovers and GhostPhacers 189 Index 195

Galen A. Foresman is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where he teaches ethics and critical thinking. He is the author of “Why Batman Is Better than Superman” in Batman and Philosophy (Wiley, 2008) and "What’s Wrong with Camping?" in Halo and Philosophy (2011). William Irwin is Professor of Philosophy at King’s College. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor 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 .