[Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture 33] • The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy by Kowalski, Dean A. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Contents Title Copyright Acknowledgments Dedication Introduction: “Unraveling the Mysteries” Part One: “It All Began on A Warm Summer’s Evening in Greece”

Chapter 1: Aristotle on Sheldon Cooper

The Life of the Mind The Ancient Greek and the Modern Geek The Joy of Geekdom Geeky Fun and the Purpose of Life Trial of a Nerd The Aristotle-Cooper Evaluation

Chapter 2: “You’re a Sucky, Sucky Friend”

Chapter 3: The Big Bang Theory on the Use and Abuse of Modern Technology

Some Healthy Webcam-ing Unhealthy Interactions Virtual Vengeance Aristotle’s Mean Aristotle in Television Bright and Shiny Penny Where Do We Go?

Part Two: “Is it Wrong To Say I Love Our Killer Robot?”

Chapter 4: Feeling Bad about Feeling Good

Lorre and Prady on Sheldon Cooper Diagnosing Sheldon III: Functionality What Is a Disability?

Chapter 5: . . . But Is Wil Wheaton Evil?

The Wheaton Occurrences The Theodicy Corollary Beyond Good and Evil Wil—or, the Wrath of Sheldon The Name-Calling and Line-Cutting Topologies The Comic Book Paradigm The Inscrutability Factor

Chapter 6: Do We Need a Roommate Agreement?

The Giant “Hedon” Collider The Egoism Polarization The Social Contract Instability The Aristotelian Virtue Vortex The Dennis Kim Conundrum

Part Three: “Perhaps You Mean A Different Thing Than I Do When You Say ‘Science’”

Studies in Sheldonology A Unified Theory of Sheldon? Resolving a “Nonlovers” Quarrel (about Science) The Pragmatics of the Special Sciences

Chapter 8: Sheldon, Leonard, and Leslie

The Methods of Science Theoretical “Discoveries” The String Theory Paradigm Hang-Ups, Breakups, and New Beginnings

Chapter 9: The One Paradigm to Rule Them All

The Data The Background The Controversy The Ramifications The Analysis

Chapter 10: Cooper Considerations

Magic Maharaja Macs? Scientist Sons Scolded Monumental Math Mysteries Lifelong Lessons

Part Four: “I Need Your Opinion on A Matter of Semiotics”

Chapter 11: Wittgenstein and Language Games in The Big Bang Theory

“The Philosophy Is Theoretical, but the Fun Is Real” “So, What Does That Mean?” “Be Serious, We’re Playing a Game Here” “Figured Out the Magic Trick Yet?” “It’s a Nonoptional Social Convention,” Stupid! “Believe in Magic, You Muggle!”

Chapter 12: “I’m Afraid You Couldn’t Be More Wrong!”

“More Wrong?” “In None of Them Am I Dancing” “I Think You Mean I’m Improbable” The Cooper-Wrongness Paradox “Of Course I’m Right—What Are the Odds I’d Be Wrong Twice in One Week?” “Throw All the French around You Want, It Doesn’t Make You Right.”

Chapter 13: The Cooper Conundrum

Who’s Tolerating Whom? Worlds Apart or Words Apart? The Mutual Exclusion Dogma World Speak or Person Speak The Tolerance Tally

Chapter 14: The Mendacity Bifurcation

Should We Be Learning How to Lie Better? Should We Listen to What Sheldon Has to Say about Lying? Is Sheldon Really a Bad Liar? Does Lying Require Intending to Deceive? Does Lying Require Intending to Violate a Social Convention?

Part Five: “The Human Experience That Has Always Eluded Me”

Chapter 15: Mothers and Sons of The Big Bang Theory

Raj: The “Selective Mutism” Mutant Sheldon: Roots in Fundamental(ist) Particles Howard: A Sociological Cliché Leonard: Hofstadter’s Monkey Aristotle, Justice, and Special Obligations Cognitive Dissonance and Psychological Courage

Chapter 16: Penny, Sheldon, and Personal Growth through Difference

Are Penny and Sheldon Really Friends? Penny’s and Sheldon’s Friendship and the Importance of Difference Modern and Classical Friendship Good Friendship and Good Friends

Chapter 17: Deconstructing the Women of The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Gender Theory “It’s a Warm Summer Evening in Ancient Greece . . .” The Big Bang Performativity “Come for the Breasts—Stay for the Brains.” Knock Knock . . . Manhood? Knock Knock . . . Manhood? Knock Knock . . . Manhood? White and Fisher Productions #1