ftoc.indd viii 12/03/12 4:03 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY AND PHILOSOPHY ffirs.indd i 12/03/12 4:16 PM The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series Series Editor: William Irwin South Park and Philosophy Final Fantasy and Philosophy Edited by Robert Arp Edited by Jason P. Blahuta and Michel S. Beaulieu Metallica and Philosophy Edited by William Irwin Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy Family Guy and Philosophy Edited by Richard Brian Davis Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski Iron Man and Philosophy The Daily Show and Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White Edited by Jason Holt True Blood and Philosophy Lost and Philosophy Edited by George Dunn and Edited by Sharon Kaye Rebecca Housel 24 and Philosophy Mad Men and Philosophy Edited by Jennifer Hart Weed, Edited by James South and Rod Richard Davis, and Ronald Weed Carveth Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy Edited by Jason T. Eberl 30 Rock and Philosophy Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski The Offi ce and Philosophy Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy Batman and Philosophy Edited by Gregory Bassham Edited by Mark D. White and Robert Arp The Ultimate Lost and Philosophy House and Philosophy Edited by Sharon Kaye Edited by Henry Jacoby Green Lantern and Philosophy Watchmen and Philosophy Edited by Jane Dryden and Mark Edited by Mark D. White D. White X-Men and Philosophy The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Philosophy Jeremy Wisnewski Edited by Eric Bronson Terminator and Philosophy Arrested Development and Philosophy Edited by Richard Brown and Edited by Kristopher Phillips and Kevin Decker J. Jeremy Wisnewski Heroes and Philosophy Inception and Philosophy Edited by David Kyle Johnson Edited by David Johnson Twilight and Philosophy Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. The Big Lebowski and Philosophy Jeremy Wisnewski Edited by Peter S. Fosl ffirs.indd ii 12/03/12 4:16 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY AND PHILOSOPHY ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, ARISTOTLE, LOCKE Edited by Dean A. Kowalski John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ffirs.indd iii 12/03/12 4:16 PM This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans- mitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permis- sion should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifi cally disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fi tness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profi t or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some content that appears in standard print versions of this book may not be available in other formats. For more information about Wiley products, visit us at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The big bang theory and philosophy: rock, paper, scissors, Aristotle, Locke / edited by Dean A. Kowalski. pages cm.—(The Blackwell philosophy and pop culture series; 44) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-118-07455-8 (pbk.); ISBN 978-1-118-22252-2 (ebk.); ISBN 978-1-118-23641-3 (ebk.); ISBN 978-1-118-26137-8 (ebk.) 1. Big bang theory (Television program) 2. Philosophy—Miscellanea. I. Kowalski, Dean A., editor of compilation. PN1992.77.B485B54 2012 791.45'72—dc23 2011043333 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ffirs.indd iv 12/03/12 4:16 PM CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix INTRODUCTION: “Unraveling the Mysteries” 1 PART ONE “IT ALL BEGAN ON A WARM SUMMER’S EVENING IN GREECE”: ARISTOTELIAN INSIGHTS 1 Aristotle on Sheldon Cooper: Ancient Greek Meets Modern Geek 7 Greg Littmann 2 “You’re a Sucky, Sucky Friend”: Seeking Aristotelian Friendship in The Big Bang Theory 21 Dean A. Kowalski 3 The Big Bang Theory on the Use and Abuse of Modern Technology 35 Kenneth Wayne Sayles III PART TWO “IS IT WRONG TO SAY I LOVE OUR KILLER ROBOT?”: ETHICS AND VIRTUE 4 Feeling Bad about Feeling Good: Is It Morally Wrong to Laugh at Sheldon? 51 W. Scott Clifton v ftoc.indd v 12/03/12 4:03 PM vi CONTENTS 5 . But Is Wil Wheaton Evil? 65 Donna Marie Smith 6 Do We Need a Roommate Agreement?: Pleasure, Selfi shness, and Virtue in The Big Bang Theory 80 Gregory L. Bock and Jeffrey L. Bock PART THREE “PERHAPS YOU MEAN A DIFFERENT THING THAN I DO WHEN YOU SAY ‘SCIENCE’”: SCIENCE, SCIENTISM, AND RELIGION 7 Getting Fundamental about Doing Physics in The Big Bang Theory 99 Jonathan Lawhead 8 Sheldon, Leonard, and Leslie: The Three Faces of Quantum Gravity 112 Andrew Zimmerman Jones 9 The One Paradigm to Rule Them All: Scientism and The Big Bang Theory 128 Massimo Pigliucci 10 Cooper Considerations: Science, Religion, and Family 144 Adam Barkman and Dean A. Kowalski PART FOUR “I NEED YOUR OPINION ON A MATTER OF SEMIOTICS”: LANGUAGE AND MEANING 11 Wittgenstein and Language Games in The Big Bang Theory 161 Janelle Pötzsch 12 “I’m Afraid You Couldn’t Be More Wrong!”: Sheldon and Being Right about Being Wrong 175 Adolfas Mackonis ftoc.indd vi 12/03/12 4:03 PM CONTENTS vii 13 The Cooper Conundrum: Good Lord, Who’s Tolerating Whom? 189 Ruth E. Lowe 14 The Mendacity Bifurcation 203 Don Fallis PART FIVE “THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE THAT HAS ALWAYS ELUDED ME”: THE HUMAN CONDITION 15 Mothers and Sons of The Big Bang Theory 219 Ashley Barkman 16 Penny, Sheldon, and Personal Growth through Difference 233 Nicholas G. Evans 17 Deconstructing the Women of The Big Bang Theory: So Much More Than Girlfriends 244 Mark D. White and Maryanne L. Fisher THE EPISODE COMPENDIUM: “Hey, It’s a Big Menu—There’s Two Pages Just for Desserts” 257 CONTRIBUTORS: “But If We Were Part of the Team . We Could Drink for Free in Any Bar in Any College Town” 261 INDEX: “Cornucopia . Let’s Make That Our Word of the Day” 267 ftoc.indd vii 12/03/12 4:03 PM ftoc.indd viii 12/03/12 4:03 PM ACKNOWLEDGMENTS When I Write My Memoirs, You Can Expect a Very Effusive Footnote—and Perhaps a Signed Copy —Dr. Sheldon Cooper, “The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation” I would like to thank all of the contributing authors. Each was a pleasure to work with, and many of them participated in voluminous e-mail exchanges and provided multiple drafts. Not one of them called me a giant “dic-tator,” even though I may have come close to deserving that Sheldon-esque moni- ker on occasion. I would also like to thank my wife, Patricia, for indulging me in yet one more philosophy and pop culture book. Her patience knows no bounds. I must note Nicholas and Cassie; although they interrupted their dad’s “research” numerous times, they also inspired me (and now fl awlessly use the term Bazinga). And Joseph Foy continues to inspire me as a colleague and a (complete) friend. I am especially indebted to series editor Bill Irwin. Working on a book with him was one of my professional goals, and he was incredibly gracious to make it just that—a collabora- tive effort. He gives generously of his time, enthusiasm, and expertise to make these books the best they can be. In fact, ix flast.indd ix 12/03/12 4:40 PM x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS the whole Wiley team is deserving of recognition, especially Connie Santisteban. As I was composing this volume, I was often reminded of the countless hours I had spent with my siblings in front of the television, giggling at shows like The Big Bang Theory. I dedi- cate this book to them and all the happy memories we shared as kids: To Amber, Beth, and Corey flast.indd x 12/03/12 4:40 PM INTRODUCTION “Unraveling the Mysteries” Dean A. Kowalski It took nearly fourteen billion years, but you fi nally hold in your hands The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy. Other book- store browsers are perusing volumes such as Bernie Bunny Has Two Daddies Now or Jerry the Gerbil and the Bullies on the Bus, but they lack the basic social skills that you and I take for granted.