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 Strikes Back, the Way wends through entirely new adventures in the Star Wars galaxy far, far away: not only the films of the Skywalker saga, but also Rebels, The Bad Batch, Rogue One, Solo, and The Mandalorian. Like the creators of these films and television series, the authors in this book harness the magical mix of humor, action, empathy, characterization, adventure, and fan service that constitutes Star Wars.
In addition to thorny metaphysical questions about the nature of time and free will, this volume highlights the staggering cultural impact of George Lucas’s universe. The newest Star Wars narratives tackle ethnicity on alien worlds and how love and sex with a droid like L3-37 would work (“It works”). The connections between the Separatist Freedom Movement and the struggle for social justice in the USA in the 21st century are brought to light. And philosophical second looks at Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi prove there is much more to this controversial entry in the Skywalker saga.
Thirty-six philosophers, both sages and scoundrels among them, examine the full range of deep questions throughout the Star Wars chronology―from The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker and beyond. “They have spoken.”
Author(s): Jason T. Eberl, Kevin S. Decker
Series: The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 321
City: Hoboken
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
The Bad Batch
Introduction
Part I Episodes I–III
Chapter 1 “Another Solution Will Present Itself”: The Phantom Menace, Daoism, and Doing without Trying
“This Is the Way”
“A Symbiont Circle”
Doing without Trying
“Concentrate on the Moment”
“Now This Is Podracing!”
Notes
Chapter 2 Bioethics Wars: Fear and Fallacy in Revenge of the Sith
“Fear Is the Path to the Dark Side”
“What I Told You Was True, from a Certain Point of View”
“From My Point of View, the Jedi Are Evil”
“A Pathway to Many Abilities Some Consider to Be Unnatural”
Bringing Balance to the Force?
Notes
Chapter 3 “A Pathway to Many Abilities Some Consider to Be Unnatural”: The Natural Law Ethics of Star Wars
Natural Law Ethics: A “First Step into a Larger World”
The Morality of the Force: “Twisted by the Dark Side,” Saved by the Light
Jedi and Sith Ethics: “Similar in Almost Every Way”?
Notes
Chapter 4 Mothers, Daughters, Rebels: Women’s Bodies in Star Wars
“I’m a Senator”: Padmé’s Journey in the Prequels
A Tale of Fathers and Sons, but Someone Has to Bear Them First
“It Seems, in Your Anger, You Killed Her”
A New Hope? Inclusive Representation in the Galaxy
Notes
Part II Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Bad Batch
Chapter 5 Order 66: The Fragility of Moral Autonomy in The Clone Wars
Bred to Obey
Absolute Power
Moral Autonomy
Notes
Chapter 6 “Corporations Do Not Rule Us!”: The Separatist Freedom Movement and the Struggle for Justice
“My Allegiance Is to the Republic, to Democracy!”
From Senator Halle Burtoni to Halliburton
“Not the Jedi Way”
“We Were Trained to Be Keepers of the Peace, not Soldiers”
Notes
Chapter 7 “No One Rescues Droids”: Rebels on Race and Racism
“Luminous Beings Are We, Not This Crude Matter!”
On the Origin of Races (and Species)
“It Surrounds Us and Penetrates Us”
“Never Underestimate a Droid”
“Everything’s under Control, Situation Normal”
You’re Our Only Hope
Notes
Chapter 8 Individuality and Identity: Are Clones Literally a “Band (or Batch) of Brothers”?
“Very Different, Each One of You Are”
No Place Like Home
Frankfurt’s Concept of a Person
Freedom of Action and Freedom of Will
“Good Soldiers Follow Orders”
Notes
Chapter 9 The Failure of Jedi Ethics: The Jedi Betrayal of Ahsoka
Disappointing Jedi at a Place So Sacred
Trusting Ventress
The Not So Precious Jedi Order
Learning to Disobey from the Best
Do Not Ask Him to Be Rational
Notes
Chapter 10 Of Graffiti and Kalikoris
Sabine’s Masterpiece
“I Paint What I See”
“Forget the Explosion. Look at the Color”
“Family History as Living Art”
“It’s Art. Everything Has a Meaning”
Art Appreciation with Grand Admiral Thrawn
Not Merely Trophies
Something’s Missing
Chapter 11 A Long Time Ago? Time and Time Travel in Star Wars
The Tragedy of Anakin Skywalker
Ezra Bridger – Time Traveler
Saving Kanan, aka the Grandfather Paradox
“A Bunch of (Metaphysical) Mumbo Jumbo”
“Always in Motion Is the Future”
The End
Notes
Part III Rogue One and Solo
Chapter 12 Building the Death Star: Complicity in Moral Evil
“Well, You Have to Start Somewhere”
“I’ve Got a Bad Feeling about This”
“We’ve All Done Terrible Things on Behalf of the Rebellion”
“Rebellions Are Built on Hope!”
Notes
Chapter 13 “Rebellions Are Built on Hope”: The Creative Democratic Force of Rogue One
“This Town is Ready to Blow”
Dark Times for the Republics
“Lies! Deception!”
“I’m Not Alone. I Have You!”
Trust in the Force of Others
Notes
Chapter 14 Han Solo: The Corellian Evasion of Philosophy
“I Don’t Have People. I’m Alone”
“That’s Not How the Force Works!”
“Then I’ll See You in Hell!”
“You Like Me because I’m a Scoundrel”
Notes
Chapter 15 Friendship, Love, and Sex with Droids in Solo: “How Would that Work?” “It Works”
What Does Friendship Require?
Being Encouraged to Love
Humanoids and Droids Having Sex?
Notes
Chapter 16 La L3-37 Continue: Droid Rights and the Problem of Legal Personhood
Droid Rights: The Problem of Legal Personhood
Legal Personhood for Droids in the Galactic Empire
Morality and Legal Validity
Natural Law and Legal Personhood
Beyond the Whimsy
Notes
Part IV Episodes IV–VI
Chapter 17 The Non-dualistic, Redemptive Metaphysics of the Jedi
“You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned”
“The Force Is What Gives a Jedi His Power”
“An Energy Field Created by All Living Things”
Notes
Chapter 18 Just How Many “Lukes” Are There in A New Hope, Anyway?
“You Don’t Need to See His Identification”
“Impressive. Every Word in That Sentence Was Wrong”
“This Is Not Going to Work.” “Why Didn’t You Say So?” “I Did Say So.”
“Many of the Truths We Cling to Depend Greatly on Our Own Point of View”
“Master Skywalker. There Are Too Many of Them. What Are We Going to Do?”
Notes
Chapter 19 Force and Geist: Hegel Watches The Empire Strikes Back
A Long Time Ago, in Ancient Greece
“You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned”
May the Geist Be with You
Yoda’s Theme
Notes
Chapter 20 “I Know There Is Good in You”: Luke, Anakin, and Confucian Filial Piety
“Unexpected This Is, and Unfortunate”
“I Feel the Good in You, the Conflict”
“I Am a Jedi, Like My Father Before Me”
“Tell Your Sister, You Were Right”
Notes
Part V The Mandalorian
Chapter 21 Should You Eat Baby Yoda?
“I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This”
“Always Thinking with Your Stomach”
“You’re Lucky You Don’t Taste Very Good”
“This Is the Way”
Notes
Chapter 22 Grogu’s Little Way: The Binds of Power and the Bonds of Love in The Mandalorian
“I Can Bring You in Warm, or I Can Bring You in Cold”
“Enter the Bureaucrat. The True Rulers of the Republic”
“Without the Midi-chlorians, Life Could Not Exist”
The Binds of Power or the Bonds of Love
“Wherever I Go, He Goes”
Notes
Chapter 23 Beneath the Helmet, Beyond the Way: The Mandalorian and Moral Decision-making
“Everybody’s Got Their Lines They Don’t Cross, Until Things Get Messy”
“He’s a Little Rough Around the Edges, but He Is the Best”
“Well, Then I Don’t Know If I Want Your Help”
“How Uncharacteristic of One of Your Reputation”
“You Are a Clan of Two”
“You Have Suffered Damage to Your Central Processing Unit”
“We Gonna Do This in Front of the Kid?”
“So, What Happens If You Take That Thing Off?”
Notes
Chapter 24 Paradox of Faith: The Way of Din Djarin and Kierkegaard
Faith or Doubt?
Mercenary or Father?
Selfish or Sacrifice?
Purpose or Futility?
Notes
Chapter 25 Reading the Mind of Din Djarin: The Music of The Mandalorian
Grogu’s Music Through Din’s Eyes
Music, Emotion, and Din’s Virtuous Way
Din’s Theme as a Symbol of Strength and Confidence
Din and Grogu’s Emotional Farewell
A New Sound for Star Wars
Notes
Part VI Episodes VII–IX
Chapter 26 Awakening Race, Culture, and Ethnicity in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
“You Do Not Know a Thing about Me”
“You Know Fuck All”
“I Was Raised to Do One Thing”
“For the First Time I Have Something to Fight For”
“I’m the Guy that Used to Mop It”
“I’m in Charge Now, Phasma, I’m in Charge!”
Notes
Chapter 27 The Last Jedi’s Despair: Did Episode VIII Ruin Luke Skywalker?
We Should Have Seen It Coming
Guilt by Association (with the Jedi)
Luke Skywalker: Pacifist
A Novel Pacifism
The Last Jedi: A New Hope
Notes
Chapter 28 Deleuze, the Force of Becoming, and The Last Jedi
A Tale of Two Lukes
The Tensions that Bind Us
Which Side Are You On?
Abilities Some Considered to Be Non-organic
Notes
Chapter 29 Passionate Love, Platonic Love, and Force Love in Star Wars
Philosophy Begins with Passion
Fulfilling the Prophecy
A Love Story in Three Acts
Overcoming Death through the Force of Love
Notes
Chapter 30 The Rise of Rey Skywalker: The Importance of Community and Friends in Star Wars
“They’re My Friends. I’ve Got to Help Them”
“We Are What They Grow Beyond”
“The Belonging You Seek Is Not Behind You. It Is Ahead”
“And I, I’m All the Jedi!”
Notes
Index
EULA
