Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its Reasons (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)

Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its Reasons (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)

Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its Reasons (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)
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Book Summary Information

Editor: Sharon Kaye
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-11-27
ISBN: 1405163151
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Product features:

Book Reviews of Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its Reasons (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)

Book Review: Best / Worst Chapters...
Summary: 4 Stars

The consensus of Amazon customer reviews strikes me as quite accurate: a fine and thoughtful book for both fans and curious intelligent general readers. Twenty-one essays, generally a worthwhile experience, but there were some standouts...


Five chapters that the editors should be really proud of - great stuff:

The Island of Ethical Subjectivism: Not the Paradise of Lost, by George Wrisley

Meaning and Freedom on the Island, by Sander Lee

No Exit...from the Island: A Sartrean Analysis of Lost, by Sandra Bonetto

Lost's State of Nature, by Richard Davies

Lost and the Problem of Life after Birth, by Jeremy Barris


Five chapters that the editors might not be so proud of - questionable inclusions:

Should We Condemn Michael for Saving Walt? by Rebecca Vartabedian

Lost, The Third Policeman, and Guerilla Ontology, by Jessica Engelking

Lost in Codes: Interpretation and Deconstruction in Lost's Narrative, by Tom Grimwood

The Tao of John Locke, by Shai Biderman and William Devlin

Everything Happens for a Reason, by David Werther


The other 11 chapters are all solid and interesting, though somewhat lacking in the combination of analysis, insight, and sparkle of the recommended ones above. Cheers.

Summary of Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its Reasons (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)

Sometimes it feels like you need a Ph.D. to follow the show. But you don't. You just need this book in which twenty-one philosophers explore the deep questions we all face as survivors on this planet: Does "everything happen for a reason"? Is torture ever justified? Who are the Others? How do we know we're not patients in Hurley's psych ward? What if the Dharma Intitiative is experimenting on us? Desmond may not be able to save Charlie, but this book could save you.

  • A provocative study of the hit television show, Lost, currently in its third season and set to reach its climax in 2010
  • Highlights the sense in which Lost is a genuinely philosophical show
  • Helps fans understand and navigate some of Lost's deeper meanings
  • Connects episodes and events in the show to core philosophical issues such as truth, identity, and morality
  • Shows that it's no accident that there are Lost characters names Locke, Rousseau, and Hume

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