PART I: Ethics. 'Eat Me': Vegetarianism and Consenting Animals / B.Saunders & E.Harding ; Mostly Harmless? Hitchhiker's and the Ethics of Entertainment / N.Joll. -- PART II: The meaning of life. Life, the Universe, and Absurdity / A.Kind ; The Wowbagger Case: Immortality and What Makes Life Meaningful / T.Chappell. -- PART III: Metaphysics and artificial intelligence. 'I Think You Ought To Know I'm Feeling Very Depressed': Marvin and Artificial Intelligence / J.Goodenough ; From Deep Thought to Digital Metaphysics / B.Dainton. -- PART IV: Logic, method, and satire. 'God . . Promptly Vanishes in a Puff of Logic' / M.Friend ; The Judo Principle, Philosophical Method, and the Logic of Jokes / A.Aberdein ; The Funniest of All Improbable Worlds - Hitchhiker's as Philosophical Satire / A.Pawlak & N.Joll.
Summary:
"This is the "philosophy and. ." book that really needed to be written - because it is aboutThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. For (to paraphrase the great man himself) Hitchhiker's is not above a little philosophy in the same way that the sea is not above the sky. Moreover: this edited collection combines accessibility - and some humor - with rigor. It contains an introduction, nine chapters, a glossary, and multiple indexes. Topics covered include the meaning of life (and "42"), vegetarianism, the ethics of entertainment, artificial intelligence, multiple worlds, God, and philosophical method."--Publisher's website.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.