Celebrate the Dude with an abiding look at the philosophy behind The Big Lebowski Is the Dude a bowling-loving stoner or a philosophical genius living the good life? Naturally, it's the latter, and The Big Lebowski and Philosophy explains why. Enlisting the help of great thinkers like Plato and Nietzsche, the book explores the movie's hidden philosophical layers, cultural reflection, and political commentary. It also answers key questions, including: The Dude abides, but is abiding a virtue? Is the Dude an Americanized version of the Taoist way of life? How does The Big Lebowski illustrate the Just War Theory? How does bowling help Donny, Walter, and the Dude oppose nihilism? Yes, the Dude is deep, and so is this book. Don't watch the movie or go to Lebowski Fest without it. Explores many of The Big Lebowski's key themes, such as nihilism, war and politics, money and materialism, idealism and morality, history, and more Gives you new perspective on the movie's characters the Dude, the Big Lebowski, Walter Sobchak, Donny, Maude Lebowski, Bunny Lebowski, and others Helps you appreciate the Coen Brothers classic even more with the insights of Aristotle, Epicurus, Kant, Derrida, and other philosophical heavyweights

Celebrate the Dude with an abiding look at the philosophy behindThe Big LebowskiIs the Dude a bowling-loving stoner or a philosophical geniusliving the good life? Naturally, it's the latter, and The BigLebowski and Philosophy explains why. Enlisting the help ofgreat thinkers like Plato and Nietzsche, the book explores themovie's hidden philosophical layers, cultural reflection, andpolitical commentary. It also answers key questions, including: TheDude abides, but is abiding a virtue? Is the Dude an Americanizedversion of the Taoist way of life? How does The Big Lebowskiillustrate the Just War Theory? How does bowling help DonnyWalter, and the Dude oppose nihilism? Yes, the Dude is deep, and sois this book. Don't watch the movie--or go to LebowskiFest--without it.* Explores many of The Big Lebowski's key themes, such asnihilism, war and politics, money and materialism, idealism andmorality, history, and more* Gives you new perspective on the movie's characters--theDude, the Big Lebowski, Walter Sobchak, Donny, Maude LebowskiBunny Lebowski, and others* Helps you appreciate the Coen Brothers classic even more withthe insights of Aristotle, Epicurus, Kant, Derrida, and otherphilosophical heavyweights

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thanks to Some Real Achievers xiIntroduction: Sometimes There's a Film 1PART ONE FIRST ROUND ROBIN: TYING IT ALL TOGETHER, ORNOT1. What Would the Dude Do? Deconstructing the Dude 7Joseph A. Zeccardi and Hilda H. Ma2. The Big Lebowski and Mathematical Logic 24Craig JacksonPART TWO SECOND ROUND ROBIN: THOUSANDS OF YEARS OFPHILOSOPHICAL TRADITION, OR FROM SOCRATES TO SANDY KOUFAX3. The Dude Abides, but Does He Flourish? 39Jason T. Eberl4. "Man Down!": Aristotle, Epicurus, and the Dude onFriendship and Solidarity 55Ian O'Loughlin5. Epicurus and "Contented Poverty": The BigLebowski as Epicurean Parable 67Morgan Rempel6. Buddhism, Daoism, and Dudeism 79Joseph J. LynchPART THREE THIRD ROUND ROBIN: OVER THE LINE!7. Drawing a Line in the Sand: Rules of Aggression in The BigLebowski 93David Svolba and Adam Betz8. "That Ain't Legal Either": Rules, Virtueand Authenticity in The Big Lebowski 106Troy Jollimore and Robert C. JonesPART FOUR FOURTH ROUND ROBIN: NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF9. Bowling Our Way out of Nihilism 123Jeffery Nicholas10. Existentialism, Absurdity, and The Big Lebowski 136Bryan N. Baird11. Bowling, Despair, and American Nihilism 147Evan Brown and Peter S. FoslPART FIVE FIFTH ROUND ROBIN: WHAT MAKES A DUDE?12. The Big Lebowski's Oedipal Complex 161Roger Hunt13. In the Dude, I Abide: Being an Achiever at Lebowski Fest174Julie Dufort and Roseline Lemire-Cadieux14. "Mr. Treehorn Treats Objects Like Women, Man":The Dude as Feminist Ally 190Ben Almassi15. "Well, I Do Work, Sir": The Dude and the Valueof Sloth 207Nicolas MichaudPART SIX SIXTH ROUND ROBIN: MARK IT ZERO!16. "Am I Wrong?": Walter's Will to Believe221Daniel P. Malloy17. "That's Just Like, Uh, Your Opinion, Man":Jesus, the Dude, and Ordinary Language Philosophy 237Reuben Stern and Sam WilkinsonPART SEVEN SEVENTH ROUND ROBIN: LIVIN' IN THEPAST18. Hippies, Jews, and the Philosophy of Memory 251Clancy Smith19. "I Don't Roll on Shabbas!": JewishIdentity and the Meaning of History in The Big Lebowski 262Joseph A. EdelheitCONTRIBUTORS: The Rest of the Dude's Bowling Team 275INDEX: Little of This, Little of That 283