Disney and Philosophy: Truth, Trust, and a Little Bit of Pixie Dust

by Richard Brian Davis (editor)

Take a magic carpet ride through Disney’s wonderful world of films and entertainment experiences, and discover the wisdom within its most popular and enduring stories

Philosophy begins in wonder, and there’s no question that Disney’s immersive worlds and iconic characters have enchanted generations of children and adults alike, inviting us to escape the mundane into a world of fantasy, imagination, and infinite possibility. In Disney and Philosophy, essays from thirty-two deep-thinking Disneyphiles chart a course through the philosophical world of Disney, tapping into the minds of the great sages of the ages—Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Descartes, and Goofy—to explore universal questions of freedom, personal identity, morality, family, and  

Can Sleeping Beauty know that she’s not dreaming? Does turning our emotions and memories “inside out” tell us who we are? What can Toy Story and Wall-E teach us about being human?  Is hakuna matata really such a problem-free philosophy? If you’ve ever asked who you are, what is right, or what your purpose is, Disney and Philosophy will spark your curiosity and imagination with a whole new world of unexpected insight into the Magic Kingdom.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2019

Reviews

[Renata Rîmbu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but quite superficially written. It's mostly a combination of retelling plots and insertions of philosophical traditions - but the connections are weak. Also, for the love of God, there are other philosophers to draw from besides Locke.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook of this and I definitely recommend it as an easy way to experience the book. The different narrators kept things fresh and it was really nice to hear these essays rather than read them physically. Some general thoughts:

* Some of the essays (particularly the first two) just recapped the movies without really linking much to philosophy. This was a little disappointing. The Mulan cultural discussion was interesting but a little shallow
* The next two (Zen and Hidden Mickeys respectively) went too far the other way. The latter especially had very little to do with Disney at all
* There was a good run then of essays that hit the right balance and had some interesting things to say. I liked the one linking the princesses to different waves of feminism, and the disability one raised some interesting points I hadn't thought about before
* The essay about 'Colonizing the Geography of the Imagination' was a bit of a stretch for me and I was never sold on the concept

I might update this with more thoughts when I read my physical version to absorb some of the essays better. I think overall this book struggled with hitting the right balance but had some interesting points to make and it was nice to read as a Disney fan.

[Bethany Fletcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda boring. A lot of it was just plot summary’s of Disney movies, everyone knows The Little Mermaid is about a female mermaid who gets legs in exchange for her voice. Everyone knows she has to win him over with looks. What’s your point? There wasn’t one. That was it. She is silent and has to use ‘body language.’ Yeeeees, we know that, now what?

The rest was just a bit far fetched and annoying. Hidden Mickeys are signs of God? Nah, wasn’t convinced. Complaining early Disney movies aren’t inclusive then complaining Finding Dory is too inclusive? Make up your damn mind.

I lost interest about 25% through this book but forced myself through. It wasn’t worth it.

[Evangeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Some essays worked better than others, but I love Disney films and parks so I generally found looking at them from a philosophical angle to be pretty interesting. Highlights for me included seeing the progression of Disney princesses over time and how Ariel in particular was key in their evolvement, and analysing Kuzco's character arc in 'The Emperor's New Groove' and relating it to Mencius' ideas on human nature.

It never goes really deep into philosophy though for those who are serious about the subject. So probably more of a fun read for Disney fans.

[Anatomy of a Bookthief · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rarely mark down books because of issues such as typos however, while I enjoyed many of the essays in this book, some parts were difficult to read because of spelling errors or incomplete sentences/sentences which didn't make sense which was a shame.

[Anna Gomes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Teve alguns pontos e conexões muito bons, porém não consegui me conectar, acredito que a maioria dos artigos se mantiveram muito distantes dos personagens e das histórias em si, foi um livro bem clínico.... Faltou magia.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought provoking - I read it over a few months as I couldn’t do more than one chapter at a time. Worth taking the time to process if you’re as big a Disney and book nerd as I am.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the essays were pretty good, but the majority were lackluster. Just watch a YouTube video essay instead.

[Amanda Haffery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my fave in the collection and kind of ruined the Disney magic in my head haha

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bite-sized essays that pack a punch! A variety of chapters that weave philosophical theories and ideas with Disney stories.