The Hunger Games and Philosophy

A philosophical exploration of Suzanne Collins's New York Times bestselling series, just in time for the release of The Hunger Games movie Katniss Everdeen is "e;the girl who was on fire,"e; but she is also the girl who made us think, dream, question authority, and rebel. The post-apocalyptic world of Panem's twelve districts is a divided society on the brink of war and struggling to survive, while the Capitol lives in the lap of luxury and pure contentment. At every turn in the Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and their many allies wrestle with harrowing choices and ethical dilemmas that push them to the brink. Is it okay for Katniss to break the law to ensure her family's survival? Do ordinary moral rules apply in the Arena? Can the world of The Hunger Games shine a light into the dark corners of our world? Why do we often enjoy watching others suffer? How can we distinguish between what's Real and Not Real? This book draws on some of history's most engaging philosophical thinkers to take you deeper into the story and its themes, such as sacrifice, altruism, moral choice, and gender. Gives you new insights into the Hunger Games series and its key characters, plot lines, and ideas Examines important themes such as the state of nature, war, celebrity, authenticity, and social class Applies the perspective of some of world's greatest minds, such as Charles Darwin, Thomas Hobbes, Friedrich Nietzsche, Plato, and Immanuel Kant to the Hunger Games trilogy Covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy An essential companion for Hunger Games fans, this book will take you deeper into the dystopic world of Panem and into the minds and motivations of those who occupy it.

A philosophical exploration of Suzanne Collins's New YorkTimes bestselling series, just in time for the release ofThe Hunger Games movieKatniss Everdeen is "the girl who was on fire," but she is alsothe girl who made us think, dream, question authority, and rebel.The post-apocalyptic world of Panem's twelve districts is a dividedsociety on the brink of war and struggling to survive, while theCapitol lives in the lap of luxury and pure contentment. At everyturn in the Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and theirmany allies wrestle with harrowing choices and ethical dilemmasthat push them to the brink. Is it okay for Katniss to break thelaw to ensure her family's survival? Do ordinary moral rules applyin the Arena? Can the world of The Hunger Games shine alight into the dark corners of our world? Why do we often enjoywatching others suffer? How can we distinguish between what's Realand Not Real? This book draws on some of history's most engagingphilosophical thinkers to take you deeper into the story and itsthemes, such as sacrifice, altruism, moral choice, and gender.* Gives you new insights into the Hunger Games series and its keycharacters, plot lines, and ideas* Examines important themes such as the state of nature, warcelebrity, authenticity, and social class* Applies the perspective of some of world's greatest minds, suchas Charles Darwin, Thomas Hobbes, Friedrich Nietzsche, Plato, andImmanuel Kant to the Hunger Games trilogy* Covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogyAn essential companion for Hunger Games fans, this book willtake you deeper into the dystopic world of Panem and into the mindsand motivations of those who occupy it.

Acknowledgments: "It's Like the Bread. How I Never Get Over Owing You for That." ixIntroduction: Let The Hunger Games and Philosophy Begin! 1Part One "Having An Eye for Beauty Isn't Necessarily a Weakness": The Art of Resisting the Capitol1. "The Final Word on Entertainment": Mimetic and Monstrous Art in the Hunger Games 8Brian McDonald2. "Somewhere between Hair Ribbons and Rainbows": How Even the Shortest Song Can Change the World 26Anne Torkelson3. "I Will Be Your Mockingjay": The Power and Paradox of Metaphor in the Hunger Games Trilogy 41Jill OlthousePart Two "We're Fickle, Stupid Beings": Hungering For Morality in An Immoral World4. "The Odds Have Not Been Very Dependable of Late": Morality and Luck in the Hunger Games Trilogy 56George A. Dunn5. The Joy of Watching Others Suffer: Schadenfreude and the Hunger Games 75Andrew Shaffer6. "So Here I Am in His Debt Again": Katniss, Gifts, and Invisible Strings 90Jennifer CulverPart Three "I am as Radiant as the Sun": The Natural, The Unnatural, and Not-so-weird Science7. Competition and Kindness: The Darwinian World of the Hunger Games 104Abigail Mann8. "No Mutt Is Good"--Really? Creating Interspecies Chimeras 121Jason T. EberlPart Four "Peeta Bakes. I Hunt.": What Katniss Can Teach us About Love, Caring, and Gender9. Why Katniss Chooses Peeta: Looking at Love through a Stoic Lens 134Abigail E. Myers10. "She Has No Idea. The Effect She Can Have.": Katniss and the Politics of Gender 145Jessica Miller11. Sometimes the World Is Hungry for People Who Care: Katniss and the Feminist Care Ethic 162Lindsey Issow AverillPart Five "As Long as You Can Find Yourself, You'll Never Starve": How to Be Yourself When It's All a Big Show12. Why Does Katniss Fail at Everything She Fakes? Being versus Seeming to Be in the Hunger Games Trilogy 178Dereck Coatney13. Who Is Peeta Mellark? The Problem of Identity in Panem 193Nicolas MichaudPart Six "Here's Some Advice. Stay Alive.": A Tribute's Guide to the Morality and Logic of Warfare14. "Safe to Do What?": Morality and the War of All against All in the Arena 206Joseph J. Foy15. Starting Fires Can Get You Burned: The Just-War Tradition and the Rebellion against the Capitol 222Louis Melançon16. The Tribute's Dilemma: The Hunger Games and Game Theory 235Andrew Zimmerman JonesPart Seven "It Must Be Very Fragile if a Handful of Berries Can Bring It Down": The Political Philosophy of Coriolanus Snow17. Discipline and the Docile Body: Regulating Hungers in the Capitol 250Christina Van Dyke18. "All of This Is Wrong": Why One of Rome's Greatest Thinkers Would Despise the Capitol 265Adam Barkman19. Class Is in Session: Power and Privilege in Panem 277Chad William TimmContributors: Our Resistance Squadron 291Index: "A List in My Head of Every Act of Goodness I've Seen Someone Do" 297