Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts
Binding: Paperback
Creator: David Baggett, Shawn E. Klein, William Irwin
ASIN: 0812694554
Manufacturer: Open Court
Average Customer Review: 
(From 16 total reviews)
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1 great essay, 1 good essay, and 14 essays to waste your time by Barry Gruber
After finishing book 7, but before rereading all of the HP books, I wanted to read something that was about the HP books, to see what other people had to say.
This book, consisting of 16 essays, is not about the Harry Potter books. Rather, it uses the characters and events in the Harry Potter books to illustrate the philosophical arguments that are studied at University level in Philosophy 101. For the most part, it won’t add to you knowledge of Harry Potter, but it will make you glad you don’t have to take Philosophy 101 again (or for the first time).
The essay “Magic, Science, and the Ethics of Technology” is an exception to the overall quality of the book. This is an outstanding essay, that focuses on magic in the HP books and its relationship to science and technology. The authors have thought out the issues very clearly, and this essay does shed significant light on the HP books. In brief, magic is seen as a proto-science, roughly comparable to the field of ‘Natural Philosophy’ as was studied in Europe just before the dawn of the scientific age. Magic has natural laws that are followed, and the students at Hogwarts have to learn these laws. It’s not just waving a wand and having any desire ‘magically’ brought about. And they also have to learn the ethical principles involved in using magic. A brilliant, wonderful essay here.
The good essay is “Feminism and Equal Opportunity: Hermione and the Women of Hogwarts”. In brief, this essay discusses how the Wizarding world is one in which there is pretty much full equality between the sexes, and everyone in the books just assumes it. As but one example, several of the players on the Irish Quidditch World Cup team are women, but this is only mentioned in passing, since it’s no big deal that women are on the same world championship team with men.
The rest of the essays are a complete waste of time. They are nothing but empty philosophical concepts, basically empty words chasing other empty words in circles. (In the philosophical debate on whether ethics and metaphysics are worth studying or are the results of linguistic errors, I come down on the side of the Ordinary Language Philosophers like Wittgenstein.) As examples, taking several pages to discuss the real-world possibility of apparating as traveling through ‘real’ worm-holes, and discussing the paradoxes of time travel misses the point of Harry Potter.
If you want to know more about HP, read ‘Unlocking Harry Potter’ by John Granger.
Without the essay on Magic and Science, I would have given the book a 1. But I don’t think one excellent essay out of 16 can raise the rating to a 3. So I’ll leave it at 2.
A Good Excuse to Enjoy Harry Potter as an Adult by Angela Allen
I very much enjoyed reading “Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts”. As one who reads the Potter books mostly for the escapism, it was interesting to have the help of professional philosophers help me delve into the deeper meanings contained in the books. This book also helped me to appreciate JKR’s talent even more. I believe she must have more than a cursery knowledge of philosophy herself. My favorite essays were “Feminism and Equal Opportunity:Herminone and the Women of Hogwarts”, “Heaven, Hell and Harry Potter” “Magic,Muggles and Moral Imagination” and “The Prophecy-Driven Life: Foreknowledge and Freedom at Hogwarts” All of the essays had at least one “ah HA” moment where the brain went into high gear and really started purring. The essay “Space, Time and Magic” caused the usual brain cramp that all time travel conundrums do and I enjoyed it as much as I always enjoy such discussions with the addition that new concepts were introduced of which I had previously been unaware. I was not aquainted with the terms “tensed” and “tenseless” time. This book is probably not for the expert philosopher as these concepts will be basics but for someone of my experience (almost none) studying philosophy,it was a great read. Just like a good movie, don’t leave before the credits are done; the bios at the end are amusing.
Common Sense Revealed by David D. Prentiss
To begin with, the subtitle should read:
If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts he wouldn’t change a thing.
These Philosophers praise J.K. Rowlings for her character development of both the good and bad people in the books. They recognise, describe and praise her treatment of them and find her ideas mirrored in other philosphers. It’s a fun read most of the time but to me the praise of that most uncommon of all qualities ‘Common Sense’ found in Rowlings was a pleasure.
Interesting perspective by B. Morris
I read this book not expecting any great new philosophies or insights into old ones. I was pleasantly surprised. As a person that has read many of the older philosophical texts, I know how hard it is to sometimes understand the reasonings and logic presented. I think this book presents its ideas in a very clear way that even the youngest audiences of Harry Potter would be able to have a good introduction to philosophical thought.
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Tags: harry potter, philosophy, pop culture philosophy
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