Bassham Gregory - The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles

Table of Contents

The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

Series Editor: William Irwin

South Park and Philosophy

Metallica and Philosophy

Family Guy and Philosophy

The Daily Show and Philosophy

Lost and Philosophy

24 and Philosophy

Battlestar Galactica and

Philosophy

The Office and Philosophy

Batman and Philosophy

House and Philosophy

Watchmen and Philosophy

X-Men and Philosophy

Terminator and Philosophy

Heroes and Philosophy

Twilight and Philosophy

Final Fantasy and Philosophy

Iron Man and Philosophy

Alice in Wonderland and

Philosophy

True Blood and Philosophy

Mad Men and Philosophy

30 Rock and Philosophy

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Copyright 2010 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

The ultimate Harry Potter and philosophy : Hogwarts for Muggles / edited by Gregory Bassham.

p. cm.(The Blackwell philosophy and pop culture series)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-470-39825-8 (paper: alk. paper);
ISBN 978-0-470-62708-2 (ebk);
ISBN 978-0-470-62734-1 (ebk);
ISBN 978-0-470-62735-8 (ebk)

1. Rowling, J. K.Philosophy. 2. Rowling, J. K.Themes, motives. 3. Rowling, J. K.Characters. 4. Potter, Harry (Fictitious character) 5. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Imaginary organization) 6. Philosophy in literature. 7. Childrens stories, EnglishHistory and criticism. 8. Fantasy fiction, EnglishHistory and criticism. I. Bassham, Gregory, 1959-

PR6068.093Z8888 2010

823.914dc22

2010016880

For David Baggett

FOREWORD

Tom Morris

In 2004, there was an important literary event involving Harry Potter that didnt require sleepy parents to show up before midnight at bookstores around the world with hyperactive, well-costumed children trembling in anticipation of a new adventure and completely unable to sleep. It didnt involve J. K. Rowling writing something new or even leaving her home for a special appearance, and it never sparked front-page newspaper headlines or special television news bulletins. It was the surprising publication of an unexpected book: Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts , edited by the philosophers David Baggett and Shawn Klein.

What made this a remarkable occurrence for Harry and his fans and the broader world of readers is that it demonstrated the range and depth of attention this ongoing story was receiving, not only among kids, teens, and imaginative young adults, but also throughout the professorial ranks of the academic world. The wizards of wisdom in our colleges and universities were taking note of Harrys remarkable story and were finding in it great ideas and lessons for life. Courage, duplicity, friendship, happiness, justice, love, and ambition joined issues of good, evil, death, and freedom, among many other topics, in this remarkable examination of themes to be found in the adventures of Harry Potter as they unfolded before us, book after book.

When I was initially asked to write an essay for that first collective philosophical look at the deeper themes in the Potter tales, I must admit that I was simply perplexed. At the time, I wasnt a Potter reader. I thought these were just books for kids. But after one of the editors of the project vigorously assured me that the Harry Potter stories were for everyone and were enthralling people of all ages around the globe, I cracked open the first volume mainly out of curiosity and then, like many adults before me, was instantly hooked. In no time at all, whenever I prepared to sit down to read, I felt a strange urge to dress up in black robes and a tall, pointed hat. I breezed through the first four volumes, which were then the only ones in print, and subsequently began to read each one again, slowly, while awaiting the new books, savoring the intricacies of the story and the sparks of wisdom I started to see everywhere.

By the time the series was complete, I had read most of the seven large volumes six times through, and with deeper insights as my reward each time. There was much more going on in Harrys world than met the casual glance, and far beyond the hidden skullduggery and secret machinations of the many characters. Ideas were percolating under the surface. Real wisdom was suffused throughout the pages. The former classics major Joanne Rowling was not merely a masterful storyteller, but was also a talented weaver of profound perspectives on some of the things that matter most in our lives.

I was inspired. I quickly wrote an essay on what I saw as one of Harry Potters central attributes, his courage, and then could not stop writing. In no time at all, I had written an entire book of my own, examining the philosophical insights to be found in these incredible stories that were linking the generations like perhaps nothing else in our time. I had to wrap up my book and send it in for publication right after Rowlings sixth volume of her planned seven installments came out. So I ended up holding my philosophical breath for a good while in anticipation of the concluding storyline and what it would say about my take on the earlier books. Im happy to report that I was able to breathe a great sigh of relief when the series ended and all of my major interpretations had held up. But I had not had the last word, as a philosopher, on Harry and his friends.