Two brothers going out on the road, traveling from town to town, doing what they do best: fighting demons, monsters, ghosts, and other strange creatures. Across the fifteen seasons of the show, Supernatural has thrilled audiences with the story of two mortal men who move from hunting supernatural monsters to defeating everyone from Satan to the Archangel Michael--and, ultimately, God Himself.
Now for the first time, The Ultimate Supernatural and Philosophy brings together twelve contemporary philosophers and scholars to dissect the themes, adventures and anarchy that made this series a fan-favorite. Join us as we explore and discuss the nature of man, the problem of evil, existentialism, immortality and the philosophical implications that lie between them all.
List of contents
Part I
“What’s done is done. All that matters now, all that’s ever mattered, is that we’re together. So shut up and drink your beer.”
1. Human, All Too Human --A.G. HOLDIER --pg. 3
2. The Winchesters’ Revolt Against the Divine Plan--EMMA STEELE--pg. 11
3. Why Do I Have to Be Some Kind of Hero?--ANDREA ZANIN--pg. 21
4. A Muscle Car and a Mythic Quest--CHERISE HUNTINGFORD--pg. 35
Part II
“Every soul here is a monster. This is where they come to prey upon each other for all eternity.”
5. Could Hell Be Any Worse than Doc Benton’s Immortality?--HEINRIK HELLWIG--pg. 55
6. How the Hell Are We Supposed to Kill an Idea?--NUR BANU SIMSEK --pg. 75
7. More Mothers, Lovers, and Other Monsters--PATRICIA L. BRACE--pg. 85
Part III
“Dude, you were hallucinating sheep on the road.”
8. Which Brother Is the Good One?--GERALD BROWNING--pg. 101
9. God the Programmer Is Dead--MICHELLE DEVRIES --pg.111
10. Cas Is Family--DARCI DOLL--pg.119
11. Why Sacrifice Yourself?--GERALD BROWNING--pg. 135
Part IV
“There’s no higher power; there’s no God. There’s just chaos and violence and random, unpredictable evil that comes out of nowhere.”
12. Finally Free--TRIP MCCROSSIN--pg. 149
13. Does God Have the Right to Destroy the Universe?--GALEN A. FORESMAN--pg. 169
14. Baby’s Identity--DARCI DOLL--pg. 179
15. God Is Good (Chuck Not So Much)--JOSEPH L. GRAVES JR.--pg. 191
The Lore--pg. 203
Team Free Will --pg.207
Index--pg. 211
About the author
Richard Greene is a Professor of Philosophy at Weber State University, the Director of the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, and the Director of the Richard Richards Institute for Ethics. He co-hosts, along with Rachel Robison-Greene, the pop culture and philosophy podcast ‘I Think, Therefore I Fan’. He edited The Sopranos and Philosophy: I Kill Therefore I Am (2012) and Orphan Black and Philosophy: Grand Theft DNA (2016).
Summary
Two brothers going out on the road, traveling from town to town, doing what they do best: fighting demons, monsters, ghosts, and other strange creatures. Across the fifteen seasons of the show, Supernatural has thrilled audiences with the story of two mortal men who move from hunting supernatural monsters to defeating everyone from Satan to the Archangel Michael--and, ultimately, God Himself.
Now for the first time, The Ultimate Supernatural and Philosophy brings together twelve contemporary philosophers and scholars to dissect the themes, adventures and anarchy that made this series a fan-favorite. Join us as we explore and discuss the nature of man, the problem of evil, existentialism, immortality and the philosophical implications that lie between them all.
