Much philosophical work on pop culture apologises for its use; using popular culture is a necessary evil, something merely useful for reaching the masses with important philosophical arguments. But works of pop culture are important in their own right--they shape worldviews, inspire ideas, change minds. We wouldn't baulk at a book dedicated to examining the philosophy of The Great Gatsby or 1984--why aren't Star Trek and Superman fair game as well? After all, when produced, the former were considered pop culture just as much as the latter. This will be the first major reference work to right that wrong, gathering together entries on film, television, games, graphic novels and comedy, and officially recognizing the importance of the field. It will be the go-to resource for students and researchers in philosophy, culture, media and communications, English and history and will act as a springboard to introduce the reader to the other key literature inthe field.

This companion volume to the ten volumes of the Presidential Addresses of the American Philosophical Association 1901-2000 offers both a retrospective and introspective survey of presidential addresses delivered to the APA during the twentieth century. It documents and analyzes the extraordinary diversity of philosophical thought, as well as the maturation and professionalization of philosophy as a discipline in American academia.The first ten chapters each focus on one decade of the twentieth century, pointing out prominent topics and common themes, and discussing the philosophical schools and movements that informed them. The next nine chapters are topical essays, each centering on a philosophical issue or area. Of special interest is Nicholas Rescher's chapter on the way the possibility of philosophical progress was a frequent matter raised for discussion in presidential addresses.

In The Myths that Stole Christmas, Johnson argues that Christmas has been hijacked by seven different myths-seven myths that control how people conceive of and celebrate the holiday. Myth #1: Jesus Is the Reason for the Season Myth #2: There Is a War on Christmas Myth #3: Our Christmas Traditions Are Old-Fashioned Myth #4: Christmas Spending Is Good for the Economy Myth #5: Santa Claus Is Saint Nicholas Myth #6: The Santa Claus Lie Is Harmless Myth #7: Christmas Can't Change Historically, holiday celebrations served useful social functions; they smoothed tension between social classes; they helped us prepare for the long hard winter; they turned the literal darkest days into the "hap-happiest season of all." Modern Christmas celebrations, however, serve as a source of conflict-and can make us anxious, stressed, fat, poor and stupid. Christmas owns us; we do what it wants, when it wants. But, Johnson argues, taking a close look at the history of the holiday, and the social, political and economic issues that surround it, can turn the tables and allow us to own Christmas once again. Christmas is not a Christians-only holiday that can only be properly celebrated a certain way. Christmas belongs to us all and we can each simply make it what we need it to be.

Sci Phi is an online science fiction and philosophy magazine. In each issue you will find stories that explore questions of life, the universe and everything and articles that delve into the deep philosophical waters of science fiction universes. This month we have, An original Novellete from author John C. Wright, The Ideal Machine, a tale of aliens from a distant star come to visit an old country church and offer our world a chance for the future. Original Science Fiction stories fromJoshua M. Young - Domo - A story of a Robot who wonders if he has a soulDavid Hallquist - Falling To Eternity - Can a Blackhole help you get away with murder?Frederick Best - Cosmic Foam - What is beyond the visible worldJane Lebak - Abandoned River, Dry Water - What do you do when life throws you a curve ball?Original Essays byDavid Kyle Johnson - In Defense of the Matrix Saga: Appreciating the Sequel through PhilosophyJames Druley - Star Trek's Prime Directive : Moral Guidelines, Exceptions and AbsolutesStephen S. Hanson - Personhood in H.Beam Piper's Little FuzzyDaniel Vecchio - "I am Groot": An Aristotelian Reflection on Space Aliens and SubstanceRuth Tallman - Endangered Species: Exploring Transhumanism, Genetic Engineering and Personhood Through the World of Sweet ToothAnd a book review by Peter Sean Bradley, Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia.

Sci Phi is an online science fiction and philosophy magazine. In each issue you will find stories that explore questions of life, the universe and everything and articles that delve into the deep philosophical waters of science fiction universes. This month we have, Flash Fiction When Things Go Wobbly by Gregg Chamberlain - A story of giant ants and unexpected results Last Stand by E.J. Shumak - Another giant bug story, but this time a tale of loss and hope for the future Fiction Idle Hands are the Devil's Worship by Mark Andrew Edwards - A fun lesson in why curiosity isn't always a good thing Strange Matter by Brian Niemeier - What would do if the world kept ending and you were the only one who knew it? Pathways by Liam Hogan - Life takes different paths, are we sure we are on the right one? A Quadrillion Occupied Planets by Marc Anthony - What is the price of peace and is it worth paying? Detritus by Jason Kimble - How do you live when your world gets shaken to its core? An Alternative Ending by Saligrama K. Aithal - A look at another world and their differing customs Articles Philosophical Reflections on The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special by David Kyle Johnson - The title pretty much nails the content A Deeper Rabbit Hole: Reconsidering the Philosophy of the Matrix Trilogy by Joseph Moore - Our first essay written in response to an earlier essay, and an interesting read The Tyrants Headache by Eric Schwitzgebel - An interesting exploration of Functionalism and you will need to read it to find out what "anesthesia by genocide" is Khan as Nietzschean Ubermensch and as Moral Actor in "Space Seed" by Patrick S. Baker - More Star Trek, this time looking at Khan and Nietzsche Our serial, Beyond the Mist by Ben Zwycky continues in this issue as well, with Chapters 4 & 5. Finally we have a review of the Atopia Chronicle by Peter Sean Bradley.