[lbo-talk] popularizing philosophy

[shag carpet bomb]

Awhile back, James Heartfield made an interesting observation about the 
publishing industry, noting that there was a rash of books that focused on 
just one thing, tracing history and culture through, say, the use of salt 
or cultivation of broccoli (or somesuch).

I have noticed other trends like that, particularly the recent trend toward 
popularizing philosophy. "Driving with Plato" is an example. There's the 
whole series of philosophy and pop culture (e.g., "Madmen and Philosophy", 
"Spongebob Squarepants and phil," ...) and "Plato and a Platypus Walk into 
a Bar . . .,"

Any academics on the list use them in courses or have you taken a course 
that uses them? I'm curious if they are any good. They look so gimmicky, 
and I can't fathom that anyone can squeeze every thinker into the same 
framework for analysis - like it's going to be stretching it to subject 
every bit of popular culture to the same analysis, forcing it to have 
something interesting to say to the question of, say, essentialism (or 
whathaveyou).

Anyway, curious about these books and if they are good, bad, meh?

shag

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