Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 288
Trim: 6 x 9¼
978-1-5381-0133-9 • Paperback • April 2018 • $19.95 • (£14.99)
978-1-5381-0134-6 • eBook • April 2018 • $18.99 • (£14.99)
Jacob Held has written extensively on philosophy and popular culture, having edited Dr. Seuss and Philosophy and Roald Dahl and Philosophy, coedited James Bond and Philosophy, and contributed to volumes on the Beatles, South Park, and Watchmen, to name a few. He teaches philosophy at the University of Central Arkansas and lives in Conway, Arkansas.
Preface
Editor’s Note
Welcome!
Chapter 1: On Beyond Reason: Dr. Seuss and the Romantic Imagination, by Glenn Jellenik
Chapter 2: Aristotle and The Cat on Fun that is Funny, by Dennis Knepp
You!
Chapter 3: Aristotle and Eudaimonia: Oh, the Virtues You’ll Do!, by Matthew Pierlott
Chapter 4: Did I Ever Tell You How Stoic You Are?, by Benjamin Rider
Chapter 5: One Must Imagine Dr. Seuss Happy: Existential Freedom and the Search for Meaning in Happy Birthday to You! and I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew, by Elizabeth Butterfield
Chapter 6: Your Ending is Waiting: Seuss and Socrates on Death and Aging, by Robert Main & Matthew Pierlott
Chapter 7: Dr. Seuss and Aristotle on the Most Important Friendship of All, by Sharon Kaye
Them!
Chapter 8: It Should be like That! - Egoism, Philanthropy, and a Virtuous Elephant, by Jacob M. Held
Chapter 9: Feeling As, Feeling For, Seeing What’s Right and So Much More: Empathy, Concern, and Moral Growth in Dr. Seuss, by Jennifer L. McMahon
Chapter 10: Hearing Whos and Minding Others - Care Ethics in Dr. Seuss, by Janelle Pötzsch
Chapter 11: No Kind of Sneetch is Best: Bigotry, Dehumanization, and Re-humanization in the Stories of Dr. Seuss, by Bertha Alvarez Manninen
Chapter 12: The Other Sneetches, by Cam Cobb
Us!
Chapter 13: Oh, the Mistakes You’ll Make When You’re Free: Coercion, Power, and Liberty in Dr. Seuss, by Kevin Guilfoy
Chapter 14: State Power and Individual Rights in Dr. Seuss, by Aeon J. Skoble
Chapter 15: The Failures of Kings Derwin and Yertle: Authority, Law, and Civil Disobedience from Didd to Sala-ma-sond, by Jacob M. Held
Chapter 16: The Sneetches, the Zax, and Too Many Daves: Seuss’s Inclusive Answer to Diversity and Difference, by Timothy M. Dale and Joseph J. Foy
Chapter 17: Yooks and Zooks: The Bread and Butter of War, by Jacob M. Held
Epilogue: A Simple Answer, by Jacob M. Held
Notes
Index
Author Biographies
“For generations, Dr. Seuss has guided children through the thorny thickets of life. With the help of Socrates and Sneetches, this book guides adults on the quest for the meaning of life, friendship, and compassion. A must-read for lovers of wisdom and lovers of the Lorax.”
— William Irwin, author of Seinfeld and Philosophy, The Simpsons and Philosophy, and The Matrix and Philosophy
“Horton heard a Who, and I was forever changed by the realization that there might be whole worlds, adjacent to or embedded within our own, of which most folks are completely unaware. Now that I am a responsible grownup, such thoughts are often displaced by practical matters of more immediate concern. As a professional philosopher, however, I am contractually obligated to invoke the sense of wonder that once came so spontaneously. Reading the essays in More Dr. Seuss and Philosophy reminded me exactly why I was drawn to philosophy in the first place. Regardless of age or occupation, this collection will invite both your inner child and your inner philosopher to ponder the meaning of life, the role of friendship, the nature of humanity, and many other timeless and timely questions.”
— Mimi Marinucci, Eastern Washington University
“Aristotle, Socrates, Kant, and…Theodore Geisel? In this volume, Jacob Held and his talented band of contributing authors—sometimes, in the familiar rhyme, mind you—pay homage to the author otherwise known as Dr. Seuss. In convincing but still light-hearted ways, they explain how a hatted cat, a grinning grinch, colored fish, an egg-sitting elephant, and star-bellied sneetches playfully conveyed valuable insights about the good life and living well with others. In doing so, they show how Dr. Seuss was indeed something of a philosopher. Learning has never been so fun, you just need to know how!”
— Dean A. Kowalski, author of "Joss Whedon as Philosopher"
"Philosophical Wisdom! Whimsey! And Fun!
Open this book and see what they've done!
These sages have gathered and bundled such thought,
They've made you a book that needs to be bought!"
— Tom Morris, bestselling author of If Aristotle Ran General Motors, Philosophy for Dummies, and The Oasis Within
"If you are a person who likes to ask "Why?"But who finds the philosophers just a bit dry,Then this book's for you, since it's not so abstruse,When your guide to Deep Thinkers is—the wise Dr. Seuss!" (Previous Edition Praise)
— Thomas Cathcart
"This is a unique book. I would not have imagined anyone imagining doing such a thing—but these philosophers did. They imagined it, and they did it. And it is published. You can hold it in your hand, or even read it. Oy vey!" (Previous Edition Praise)
— Daniel Pinkwater
"Few people realize how philosophical picture books are. Dr. Seuss and Philosophy should help change that. Readers should not miss Jacob Held's wonderful introductory poem in which he channels Dr. Seuss. It's a real treasure!" (Previous Edition Praise)
— Thomas Wartenberg, Professor of Philosophy, Mt. Holyoke College
Contributions by Elizabeth Butterfield, Cam Cobb, Timothy M. Dale, Joseph J. Foy, Kevin Guilfoy, Jacob M. Held, Glenn Jellenik, Sharon Kaye, Dennis Knepp, Rob Main, Bertha Alvarez Manninen, Jennifer L. McMahon, Matthew F. Pierlott, Janelle Pötzsch, Benjamin Rider, and Aeon J. Skoble