The Misgivings of a Pop Culture Enthusiast: On the intersection of philosophy and entertainment

Abstract

In recent years, dozens of books on philosophy and popular culture have been published. These books have been subjected to a number of criticisms in a number of venues—including other popular philosophy venues. In this paper, I will examine several versions of the criticism that such endeavors are frivolous entertainment. I will argue that, though most of these criticisms do not stand up to scrutiny, they nevertheless express a legitimate worry about the intercourse of philosophy and entertainment. This, I contend, is a criticism the ‘philosophy and popular culture’ genre must live with—and one that cannot easily be dismissed.