The Magic Kingdom and the Meaning of Life

A Philosopher Visits Disney World
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-5095-6742-3
Verlag: Polity Press

Buch, Englisch, 230 Seiten, Format (B × H): 146 mm x 222 mm, Gewicht: 425 g

What truths and life lessons can we take away from a seemingly trivial theme park in Orlando, Florida?

Father and philosopher Adam Kadlac reflects on his own visits to Walt Disney World, arguing that Disney theme parks are a remarkably fruitful environment in which to reflect on the human condition. On the one hand, engagement with the worlds of Disney is a pervasive feature of many people's everyday experience. On the other hand, the fantastical nature of Disney theme parks casts light on aspects of our lives that may otherwise seem unremarkable. If, on a day out at the Magic Kingdom, we pause to absorb our surroundings, our thoughts can quickly turn to all sorts of important topics and questions: authenticity and pleasure; what it means for corporations to play such a large role in our culture; whether nostalgia is always bad; and, of course, princesses (so, so many princesses.

The Magic Kingdom and the Meaning of Life will challenge Disney lovers and sceptics alike to think more deeply about the things that matter to them.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kadlac, Adam

Fachgebiete

• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft | Kulturwissenschaften Kulturwissenschaften
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Kulturphilosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Philosophie: Allgemeines, Methoden

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Making of a Theme Park Philosopher
1 Princesses
2 Why Are People So Grumpy?
3 Standing in Line
4 It’s All So. Fake
5 The Hipster Fallacy
6 Being a Mark
7 Main Street, U.S.A. Meets Galaxy’s Edge
8 More Than Just a Theme Park? EPCOT’s Cosmopolitan Vision
Postscript: Notes on a Secular Pilgrimage

Notes
References
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Adam Kadlac is Teaching Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest University, where he is also involved in the Disability Studies Initiative. His teaching and research centre on ethics and political philosophy (broadly construed). In recent years, he has developed particular interests in the philosophy of sport and the role that hope can play in a flourishing human life. Kadlac is the author of The Ethics of Sports Fandom (2022).