Both the comic book series and TV show force us to confront our most cherished values and ask: would we still be able to hold onto these things in such a world? What are we allowed to do? What aren't we? Are there any boundaries left?

Do demons and devils have free will? Does justice exist in Menzoberranzan? What’s the morality involved with player characters casting necromancy and summoning spells? Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy probes the rich terrain of philosophically compelling concepts and ideas that underlie Dungeons & Dragons, the legendary fantasy role–playing game that grew into a world–wide cultural phenomenon. A series of accessible essays reveals what the imaginary worlds of D&D can teach us about ethics, morality, metaphysics and more. Illustrates a wide variety (...) of philosophical concepts and ideas that arise in Dungeons & Dragons gameplay and presents them in an accessible and entertaining manner Reveals how the strategies, tactics, improvisations, and role–play employed by D&D enthusiasts have startling parallels in the real world of philosophy Explores a wide range of philosophical topics, including the nature of free will, the metaphysics of personal identity, the morality of crafting fictions, sex and gender issues in tabletop gameplay, and friendship and collaborative storytelling Provides gamers with deep philosophical insights that can lead to a richer appreciation of D&D and any gaming experience. (shrink)

We all know that Superman stands for truth, justice, and the American way. To explore what kind of justice Superman should stand for, the chapter explores two alternate theories from contemporary political philosophy. On the one hand, according to libertarianism, justice means that the state should ensure that our personal liberty is protected. On the other hand, according to liberal egalitarianism, justice involves the state ensuring not only that individual rights are protected but also that there is a fair distribution (...) of opportunity and resources among us. A popular alternative to libertarianism was provided by John Rawls, the most influential political philosopher in the last hundred years, in his famous book A Theory of Justice. Rawls gave us a way of answering that question and reaching conclusions about what fairness amounts to. (shrink)

For some Dungeons Dragons (DD) players, the death of a beloved character, especially if that death isn't heroic, is like losing a dear friend. That might make some people squirm and worry about gamers. In DD, unlike video games, it typically takes years and years to advance a character to levels of significance. According to Socrates, the life of philosophy is a life of the mind. Or as he would likely put it, a life of the soul. Death, according to (...) Socrates, is “separation of the soul from the body”. This chapter talks about how the death of a PC can be an invitation to think about passion and detachment, and how the creation of a new PC can be an invitation to think about fairness and justice. Does playing DD really lend itself to thinking about such things? Of course! (shrink)