The Wizard of Oz and Philosophy: Wicked Wisdom of the West

Front Cover
Randall E. Auxier, Phillip S. Seng
Open Court Publishing, 2008 - Philosophy - 366 pages
From the bedtime story by L. Frank Baum to the classic 1939 film, no story has captured the imaginations of generations of children -- and adults -- like The Wizard of Oz. The story of Dorothy's journey through Oz, the colorful characters, places, songs, and dialogue have permeated popular culture around the world. The contributors to this volume take a very close look at The Wizard of Oz and ask the tough questions about this wonderful tale. They wonder if someone can possess a virtue without knowing it, and if the realm of Oz was really the dream or if Kansas was the dream. Why does water melt the Wicked Witch of the West and why does Toto seem to know what the other characters can't seem to figure out? The articles included tackle these compelling questions and more, encouraging readers to have discussions of their own.
 

Contents

A Moral Odyssey
3
The Virtues of The Wizard of
19
Hegel Rushdie
33
Freeing the Slaves in
49
When the Wiz Goes Black Does it Ever Go Back?
63
Oz Never Did Give Nothing to the Tin
81
Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Curtain
95
RANDALL E AUXIER
109
Dude When Did Pink Floyd Write a Soundtrack
189
A Phenomenology
205
Reality by Way of Appearance
227
Growing Up with Dorothy
243
Should Dorothy Have Stayed in
259
Dorothy Gales Relations
277
RICHARD GREENE
305
In the Merry Old Matriarchy of
331

The Romantic Eschatology
133
The Wonderful Smallness of Evil in
149
The Possible World of
167
Doctors of Thinkology
351
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