Publisher Description

From Machiavellian city officials to big-time mobsters, corrupt beat cops, and overzealous G-men, Boardwalk Empire is replete with philosophically compelling characters who find themselves in philosophically interesting situations. This book is directed at thoughtful fans of the show. Here, readers discover parallels between the events in Boardwalk Empire and contemporary political events. Twenty philosophers address issues in political philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, feminism, and metaphysics. Is Nucky Thomson a Machiavellian prince or a Nietzschean superman? Is Jimmy's resentment towards Nucky justified, given that Jimmy would never have come into existence had his parents not met? What can be said about the ethics of lying in the seedy world of bootlegging? Agent Van Alden's unique religious attitudes bring a warped sense of morality to the Boardwalk universe. One chapter brings to light the moral character of Van Alden's God. Other chapters explores the roles that storytelling, deception, and gender play in the show.

Author Biography

Richard Greene is professor of Philosophy at Weber State University in Utah. He is co-editor of many volumes in the Popular Culture and Philosophy series, the most recent being Dexter and Philosophy.
Rachel Robison-Greene is co-editor of Dexter and Philosophy and The Golden Compass and Philosophy. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Table of Contents

1. "Karma, Bad Luck, or Divine Intervention? Exploring the Moral Character of Agent Van Alden's God" Roberto Sirvent and Neil Baker 2. "Boardwalk Empire: The Ethics of Real History versus Reel History" Rod Carveth 3. "Bunkum, Snake Oil, and Horseshit: What's Wrong with Lying to a Bootlegger?" Don Fallis 4. "Doing vs Allowing Harm" Michael Da Silva 5. "Nucky Thompson Superman!" Richard Greene 6. "Watching Boardwalk Empire with Freud: How Much Sin Can You Live With?" Ron Hirschbein 7. "Machiavelli on the Boardwalk" Gregory Littman 8. "Political Philosophy under the Boardwalk" Rachel Robison-Greene 9. "Boardwalk Empire and the State of Nature" John Fitzpatrick 10. "Nucky Thompson: In Bed with Everyone: Body Politic and Body Private in Boardwalk Empire" Weiland Schwanebeck 11. "Outsiders, Alcohol and All That Jazz: Prohibition Era Aesthetics in Boardwalk Empire" Pat Brace and Maria Kingsbury 12. "Narrative Pedagogy and Deception in Boardwalk Empire: Never let the truth get in the way of a good story" Cam Cobb 13. "'Thou shalt not kill': Systemic Violence in Boardwalk Empire" Deborah Mellamphy 14. Gender Themes in Boardwalk Empire Rachel Robison-Greene 15. "The Women of Boardwalk Empire" Chelsi Barnard Archibald

Long Description

From Machiavellian city officials to big-time mobsters, corrupt beat cops, and overzealous G-men, Boardwalk Empire is replete with philosophically compelling characters who find themselves in philosophically interesting situations. This book is directed at thoughtful fans of the show. Here, readers discover parallels between the events in Boardwalk Empire and contemporary political events. Twenty philosophers address issues in political philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, feminism, and metaphysics. Is Nucky Thomson a Machiavellian prince or a Nietzschean superman? Is Jimmy's resentment towards Nucky justified, given that Jimmy would never have come into existence had his parents not met? What can be said about the ethics of lying in the seedy world of bootlegging? Agent Van Alden's unique religious attitudes bring a warped sense of morality to the Boardwalk universe. One chapter brings to light the moral character of Van Alden's God. Other chapters explores the roles that storytelling, deception, and gender play in the show.

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