University of Kentucky UKnowledge American Popular Culture American Studies 5-28-2010 The Philosophy of the Western Jennifer L. McMahon East Central University B. Steve Csaki Centre College Click here to let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Thanks to the University of Kentucky Libraries and the University Press of Kentucky, this book is freely available to current faculty, students, and staff at the University of Kentucky. Find other University of Kentucky Books at uknowledge.uky.edu/upk. For more information, please contact UKnowledge at
[email protected]. Recommended Citation McMahon, Jennifer L. and Csaki, B. Steve, "The Philosophy of the Western" (2010). American Popular Culture. 11. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_american_popular_culture/11 (CONTINUED FROM FRONT FLAP) McMAHON PHILOSOPHY/FILM AND CSAKI THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE gender, animal rights, and other topics depicted in western narratives. “The writing is accessible to nonspecialists and should be of interest to general WESTERN Drawing from philosophers as varied as Aristotle, Spinoza, William James, and Jean- readers who enjoy thinking about EDITED BY Paul Sartre, The Philosophy of the Western JENNIFER L. McMAHON AND B. STEVE CSAKI examines themes that are central to the genre: philosophy, film, or westerns.” individual freedom versus community; the —KAREN D. HOFFMAN, encroachment of industry and development on the natural world; and the epistemological Hood College here are few film and television genres and ethical implications of the classic “lone that capture the hearts of audiences rider” of the West. The philosophies of John like the western. While not always T T Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques H true to the past, westerns are tied to, and Rousseau figure prominently in discussions E P expressive of, the history of the United States.