The Palgrave Handbook of Popular Culture as PhilosophyBy David KyleJohnson, Dean A.Kowalski, ChrisLay and Kimberly S.Engels (Eds), Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. 2024. 2145 pp. $599.99 (hbk)

The Palgrave Handbook of Popular Culture as Philosophy is an edited volume that aims to “treat works of popular culture as philosophical works” (viii). Self-positioned as a departure from the previous “pop and phil” book series, this book and its 95 chapters, organized into five parts—television and streaming, films, comedies, video games, and graphic novels, reevaluates the interconnection between popular culture and philosophical discourse. It eschews the tendency to merely utilize popular culture as a catalyst for the introduction of philosophical ideas, asserting instead that popular culture, in and of itself, possesses the capacity to be philosophy. However, this assertion does not imply that all pop culture is philosophy. In the preface, the editors set the tone of the volume by delineating the difference between “pop (popular culture) and phil (philosophy)” and “pop as phil.” They posit that those who repudiate the idea that popular culture can encapsulate philosophical wisdom are likely clinging to a dogmatic interpretation of philosophy. Given this, the edited book intends to do with nearly 100 examples of popular culture to challenge and rectify such constricted viewpoints. Part 1 dedicates itself to an analysis of 30 television and streaming series. The Good Place is chosen as a detailed case study here, for which it is “the first mainstream sitcom to tackle the works of philosophers” (3). As elucidated in Kimberly S. Engel's chapter, this sitcom provides an examination of ethical and metaphysical dilemmas, namely the nature of a good person and the concept of an afterlife. Part 2 shifts its focus to thirty-one cinematic works, to counter the skepticism that “a film can't be philosophy” (xiv). Space permits only a glimpse into some of the pivotal films discussed within this section. David Kyle Johnson argues, Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, stands out for its philosophical exploration of reality's essence. For Johnson, this film inspires viewers to question the nature of reality, as it suggests that ideas or things encountered in dreams are authentic and derive from the depths of our cognitive experience. The Harry Potter series is also engaged in a philosophical enterprise, particularly in its exploration of friendship. James M. Okapal notes that it expands Aristotle's three types of friendships—virtue, pleasure, and utility—to “five types” (951). This expansion is noteworthy for introducing a crucial differentiation between friendships grounded in other-regarding motivations and those rooted in self-regarding motivations while declining to classify as friendships those relationships based solely on pleasure or utility. To further defend that the concept that creative works, including but not limited to films, possess the capacity to engage in philosophical discourse, Parts 3 and 4 consist of 25 total chapters, with a particular emphasis on the realms of comedies and video games. Part 3 offers a comprehensive analysis of 14 comedians, including the likes of Hannah Gadsby, Amy Schumer, and others. Within this lineup, Gadsby “might be the most philosophical comedian in the world” (1470), renowned for her philosophical claims about anger. Mark Ralkowski's study of Gadsby's Nanette incorporates a dialectical discussion of anger. That is, anger is deconstuctive due to its potential to spread hatred, while it can also be constructive, serving as a tool for reclaiming and reconstructing personal and collective narratives. Part 4 features an in-depth examination of 11 video games, refuting the notion that games are detrimental. Kimberly S. Engels and Sarah Evans cite Detroit Become Human as an exemplar, arguing that the game presents “a unique, interactive philosophical experience” (1830). This is achieved through its lifelike visuals, diverse gameplay decisions, and philosophical narratives. Within this game, players could be stimulated to consider moral agency and think about who is responsible and how to become responsible. Another medium that is prime for the doing of philosophy is graphic novels. By delving into The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, Batman: The Killing Joke, From Hell, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, V for Vendetta, Asterios Polyp, Yes, Roya and The Walking Dead, Part 5 underscores that graphic novels are not just for children. In chapter 89, Matthew Brake conducts a nuanced analysis of Batman: The Killing Joke. He opines that Batman seems to advocate for the abandonment of reason in response to injustices. Yet, at its core, this graphic novel prompts adult readers to reflect on the Joker's assertion that the only way to live in an absurd world is to embrace absurdity or descend into madness. The Palgrave Handbook of Popular Culture as Philosophy is an insightful handbook that will be of interest to those in pop culture studies and philosophical studies, as well as to other readers curious about pop culture's rise to global prominence. It defends the idea that pop culture can be philosophy, inspiring the public to rethink pop and phil. While its broad scope and creative statement make this book a notable piece of scholarship, the connecting thread is somewhat loose, with the only unifying theme concerning pop culture as philosophy.