Mad Max and Philosophy

Explore the philosophy at the core of the apocalyptic future of Mad MaxBeneath the stylized violence and thrilling car crashes, the Mad Max films consider universal questions about the nature of human life, order and anarchy, justice and moral responsibility, society and technology, and ultimately, human redemption. In Mad Max and Philosophy, a diverse team of political scientists, historians, and philosophers investigates the underlying themes of the blockbuster movie franchise, following Max as he attempts to rebuild himself and the world around him.Requiring no background in philosophy, this engaging and highly readable book guides you through the barren wastelands of a post-apocalyptic future as you explore ethics and politics in The Wasteland, the importance of costumes and music, humankind's relationship with nature, commerce, gender, religion, madness, and much more.* Covers all of George Miller's Mad Max films, including Mad Max: Fury Road* Discusses connections between Mad Max and Nietzsche, Malthus, Mill, Foucault, Sartre, and other major philosophers* Follows Max's journey from policeman and family man to lost soul in search of redemption* Examines the future of technology and possible impacts on society, the environment, and access to natural resources* Delves into feminist themes of Mad Max, such as the reversal of heroic gender roles in Fury Road and relationships between power and procreationPart of the bestselling Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, Mad Max and Philosophy: Thinking Through the Wasteland is a must-read for anyone wanting to philosophically engage with Max, Furiosa, and their dystopian world.

Notes on Contributors viiiIntroduction: Doing Philosophy in the Wasteland xivAcknowledgments xviPart I Politics after the Pox-Eclipse: Anarchy, State, and Dystopia 11 Post-apocalyptic Anarchism in Mad Max 3Aeon J. Skoble2 Even on the Road, Violence Is Not the Same as Power 11Anthony Petros Spanakos and Ian J. Drake3 Thomas Hobbes and the State of Nature in the Wasteland 19Greg Littmann4 The Political Economy of Bartertown: Embeddedness of Markets, Peak Oil, the Tragedy of the Commons, and Lifeboat Ethics 29Paul Thomas5 From Wee Jerusalem to Fury Road: Does Mad Max Depict a Post-apocalyptic Dystopia? 38Clint JonesPart II The Man with No Name: Heroes and Finding Oneself Post-apocalypse Style 496 "Pray He's Still out There": Heroism in the Mad Max Films 51Karen Joan Kohoutek7 Bloodbags and Artificial Arms: Bodily Parthood in Mad Max: Fury Road 60Joshua L. Tepley8 The Meaning of Life According to Mad Max: Fury Road 71Kiki BerkPart III Building a Better Tomorrow! Ethics in Mad Max 839 What Saves the World? Care and Ecofeminism 85Leigh Kellmann Kolb10 Seeking the Good Life in the Wasteland 95Andrew Kuzma11 "We're Not to Blame!" Responsibility in the Wasteland 106Justin Kitchen12 "Look, Any Longer out on That Road and I'm One of Them, You Know?": Madness in Mad Max 116Matthew P. Meyer13 Justice, Reason, and the Road Warrior: A Mechanic Reads Plato 126David H. GordonPart IV Mother's Milk: Gender and Intersectionality 13514 Homecoming as Homemaking: The Rise of the Matriarchy in Mad Max: Fury Road 137Daniel Conway15 Liberating Mother's Milk: Imperator Furiosa's Ecofeminist Revolution 148Jacob Quick16 Demarginalizing Aunty Entity and Dismantling Thunderdome 159Edwardo Pérez and Thanayi Jackson17 Gayboy Berserkers at the Gate: Sex and Gender in the Wasteland 170Jacob M. HeldPart V Wasteland Aesthetics: Music, Fashion, Australia, and Nature 18118 Driving Insanity, Chaos, and Emotion: The Music of Mad Max: Fury Road 183Lance Belluomini19 Carapaces and Prosthetics: What Humans Wear in Mad Max: Fury Road 195Laura T. Di Summa20 Does It Matter How Australian the Apocalypse Is? 203Greg Littmann21 The Moral Aesthetics of Nature: Bioconservativism in Mad Max 215David KoepsellIndex 226