Review of “Metallica and the Philosophy”

The book under review is Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain Surgery, edited by William Irwin and published in 2007. It is part of a growing genre of books that examines such pop culture icons as The Matrix movies, The Lord of the Rings series, The Simpsons TV show, and others through through the lens of philosophy. The book is made up of a series of twenty short essays that examine the band Metallica, the interpersonal relationships between the members, and the lyrics in the context of some of the main ideas of Western philosophy.

The main goal of the book, and the series as a whole, is to introduce the average reader to the “big ideas” of philosophy while also providing a more entertaining venue. Too often, philosophy is studied only in places of higher learning and only grudgingly by its students, who must force themselves to dig into the reading material and gain whatever understanding they can. This kind of knowledge does not come easily, and trying to answer the deepest questions of existence and of being human requires hard thinking. Thus, the series’ editors seek to show that studying philosophy can be more entertaining, however, and “thinking deeply about TV, movies, and music doesn’t make you a ‘complete idiot.'” In fact, it could turn you into a philosopher, someone who believes an unexamined life isn’t worth living and an unexamined cartoon isn’t worth watching.” Metallica, as one of the most successful bands in history, receives the philosophical treatment in this installment of the series.

As a student who took numerous philosophy courses in college and who read another installment in this series (The Simpsons and philosophy), these kinds of books have always been intriguing. The question that arises is: is the book written for philosophers interested in Metallica, or for Metallica fans interested in philosophy, or is there a difference? Many Metallica fans are unlikely to find themselves in the Philosophy section of their local Borders unless they are interested in philosophy. But it’s equally hard to imagine the stereotypical college professor picking up a book titled Metallica and philosophy. However, the fact that more than twenty authors have contributed to this series of essays shows that there are a number of philosophy professors, authors, and students who also share an appreciation for the greatest heavy metal band of all time. The themes found in the book also show that the authors knew Metallica’s lyrics and history well enough to offer valuable insight into the philosophical context of Metallica’s work.

With twenty essays contained in the book, it is impossible to review every topic presented. The essays serve as introductions to the great questions of philosophy and use the lyrics of James Hetfield as their primary source. Themes such as insanity and capital punishment are explored through various songs, as well as the band’s relationship with religion and responding to the meaning of life. Quite heavy topics, no doubt. However, every essay is written with the end goal or readability in mind. While the themes often examine the abstract, the authors use frequent examples, such as quoting lyrics or using anecdotal examples from the band’s history. This makes the ideas much easier to understand and the essays don’t get caught up in a long period of exposition on esoteric matters. Many of the essays could have been a bit longer for a fuller discussion of the issues, but the length of each was sufficient to raise an issue, examine it in the context of philosophical thought, and establish some conclusions or areas for future research.

However, in addition to analyzing the lyrics, several of the essays also examine the general context and history of Metallica, and attempt to answer some of the most contentious points raised over the years. These include the issue of the band “selling out”, their image of nonconformity with traditional rock roles, and Lars’ battle with the Internet file-sharing website Napster. Did Metallica sell out when they released an alternative hard rock album (LOAD)? What role did nonconformity play in the formation of Metallica and why can’t they go back to it anymore? Was Napster about money or something else, and was Lars’ argument fundamentally correct? The answers are discussed in detail in the book and may not be what the reader expects. As one of the authors writes: “Hey, philosophers are supposed to be objective. I don’t like him any more than you do!” But these events and issues are the ones most frequently discussed when discussing Metallica, who they have been accused of selling out since their second album in 1984. The old arguments on both sides take on new force when examined through context. of philosophy.

The book is a welcome introduction or reintroduction for Metallica fans to philosophical thought and ideas. For the serious philosopher who has spent time reading the original works cited in the essays, it may just be a casual summary of the themes in a heavy metal context. But for Metallica fans who want to know more about the band’s motivations and get inside their heads, as well as understand why they’re drawn to Metallica and heavy metal in general, Metallica and philosophy provides an ideal overview of these most important concepts.

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