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The Expanse and Philosophy: So Far Out Into the Darkness
Enter The Expanse to explore questions of the meaning of human life, the concept of justice, and the nature of humanity, featuring a foreword from author James S.A. Corey
The Expanse and Philosophy investigates the philosophical universe of the critically acclaimed television show and Hugo Award-winning series of novels. Original essays by a diverse international panel of experts illuminate how essential philosophical concepts relate to the meticulously crafted world of The Expanse, engaging with topics such as transhumanism, belief, culture, environmental ethics, identity, colonialism, diaspora, racism, reality, and rhetoric.
Conceiving a near-future solar system colonized by humanity, The Expanse provokes a multitude of moral, ethical, and philosophical Are Martians, Outer Planets inhabitants, and Earthers different races? Is Marco Inaros a terrorist? Can people who look and sound different, like Earthers and Belters, ever peacefully co-exist? Should science be subject to moral rules? Who is sovereign in space? What is the relationship between human progress and aggression? The Expanse and Philosophy helps you answer these questions--and many more.
Covers the first six novels in The Expanse series and five seasons of the television adaptation Addresses the philosophical issues that emerge from socio-economics and geopolitics of Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance Offers fresh perspectives on the themes, characters, and storylines of The Expanse
Explores the connections between The Expanse and thinkers such as Aristotle, Kant, Locke, Hannah Arendt, Wittgenstein, Descartes, and Nietzsche Part of the popular Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, The Expanse and Philosophy is a must-have companion for avid readers of James S.A. Corey's novels and devotees of the television series alike.
The Expanse and Philosophy investigates the philosophical universe of the critically acclaimed television show and Hugo Award-winning series of novels. Original essays by a diverse international panel of experts illuminate how essential philosophical concepts relate to the meticulously crafted world of The Expanse, engaging with topics such as transhumanism, belief, culture, environmental ethics, identity, colonialism, diaspora, racism, reality, and rhetoric.
Conceiving a near-future solar system colonized by humanity, The Expanse provokes a multitude of moral, ethical, and philosophical Are Martians, Outer Planets inhabitants, and Earthers different races? Is Marco Inaros a terrorist? Can people who look and sound different, like Earthers and Belters, ever peacefully co-exist? Should science be subject to moral rules? Who is sovereign in space? What is the relationship between human progress and aggression? The Expanse and Philosophy helps you answer these questions--and many more.
Covers the first six novels in The Expanse series and five seasons of the television adaptation Addresses the philosophical issues that emerge from socio-economics and geopolitics of Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance Offers fresh perspectives on the themes, characters, and storylines of The Expanse
Explores the connections between The Expanse and thinkers such as Aristotle, Kant, Locke, Hannah Arendt, Wittgenstein, Descartes, and Nietzsche Part of the popular Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, The Expanse and Philosophy is a must-have companion for avid readers of James S.A. Corey's novels and devotees of the television series alike.
- GenresPhilosophyNonfiction
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2021
33 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Jeffery L. Nicholas
6 books3 followersJeffery L. Nicholas (Ph.D philosophy, University of Kentucky) is an associate professor at Providence College and an international scholar on ethics and politics. He serves as research associate for the Center for Aristotelian Studies in Ethics and Politics at London Metropolitan University and a foreign research associate at Universidad Sergio Arboleda in Bogotá Colombia. Dr. Nicholas is co-founder of and executive secretary for the International Society for MacIntyrean Enquiry.
He is the author of Reason, Tradition, and the Good: MacIntyre's Tradition Constituted Reason and Frankfurt School Critical Theory (UNDP 2012), as well as numerous articles.
Dr. Nicholas writes on midwifery and birth, the common good, friendship and community, practical reason, and Native American philosophy. He aims to develop a philosophy of integral humanism that synthesizes the philosophical traditions of Alasdair MacIntyre, Frankfurt School Critical Theory, and Feminist Care Ethics.
He is the author of Reason, Tradition, and the Good: MacIntyre's Tradition Constituted Reason and Frankfurt School Critical Theory (UNDP 2012), as well as numerous articles.
Dr. Nicholas writes on midwifery and birth, the common good, friendship and community, practical reason, and Native American philosophy. He aims to develop a philosophy of integral humanism that synthesizes the philosophical traditions of Alasdair MacIntyre, Frankfurt School Critical Theory, and Feminist Care Ethics.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 20, 2024
The Expanse as a TV show was a seminal experience for many. I first heard it described as a sprawling space opera with just the right amount of fantasy sprinkled in. For many, the show and the source material in the books represent a deep look in the mirror at humanity and all its flaws. This collection of essays goes even further on that analysis by examining the human experience across the stars and ties it to various philosophical maxims and theories.
The book starts out with a bang from the very first section; going right after the infinite expanse of the universe and our place in it. Every essay and section after that adds another layer of richness to the knowledge sponge cake. Some entries get deeply personal on a single character, while others ask broader questions about humanity’s roles and obligations to each other and the cosmos. Across all the pages, you will see a single commonality that was most meaningful for me.
The thread that binds this collection together is that though the setting is space and the challenge is galactic in scale, the conversations and analysis on The Expanse are deeply rooted in a Humanist lens. For me, that makes the book all the more intellectually and emotionally compelling. It had me pondering what it means to be human in a universe that doesn’t care if you die? Moreover, what is the role of individual identity in an expansive universe that shrinks and expands what human permanence and agency look like all at once?
Overall, this is one of the best philosophy books I have ever read and the type of reading that should be offered to students to pull more of them into the practice. The entry on patriotism and nationalism is particularly relevant for the current American dilemma. I simply could not put it down and felt the better for it with every page. Now, all we need is the tv show to cover the last two books in the series.
The book starts out with a bang from the very first section; going right after the infinite expanse of the universe and our place in it. Every essay and section after that adds another layer of richness to the knowledge sponge cake. Some entries get deeply personal on a single character, while others ask broader questions about humanity’s roles and obligations to each other and the cosmos. Across all the pages, you will see a single commonality that was most meaningful for me.
The thread that binds this collection together is that though the setting is space and the challenge is galactic in scale, the conversations and analysis on The Expanse are deeply rooted in a Humanist lens. For me, that makes the book all the more intellectually and emotionally compelling. It had me pondering what it means to be human in a universe that doesn’t care if you die? Moreover, what is the role of individual identity in an expansive universe that shrinks and expands what human permanence and agency look like all at once?
Overall, this is one of the best philosophy books I have ever read and the type of reading that should be offered to students to pull more of them into the practice. The entry on patriotism and nationalism is particularly relevant for the current American dilemma. I simply could not put it down and felt the better for it with every page. Now, all we need is the tv show to cover the last two books in the series.
September 3, 2025
After finishing The Expanse novel series, this was the logical next step for me. I longed to explore the philosophical themes that I had suspected were there throughout my own reading of the books, and wanted to hear what academics and philosophers had to say about them. I was absolutely not disappointed and can now appreciate the series with some new perspectives!
This book consists of several essays, all of them written by different academic philosophers, analysing the philosophical themes of the books and TV series, and applying the theories of famous philosophers - Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Descartes, Arendt, and so on - to them. The essays are nicely explained, especially for readers (such as myself) who are not so accustomed to reading texts on philosophy or other academic works. I found the whole book to be interesting and thought provoking, and would highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of The Expanse and with even just a passing interest in philosophy. It's well worth a read!
This book consists of several essays, all of them written by different academic philosophers, analysing the philosophical themes of the books and TV series, and applying the theories of famous philosophers - Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Descartes, Arendt, and so on - to them. The essays are nicely explained, especially for readers (such as myself) who are not so accustomed to reading texts on philosophy or other academic works. I found the whole book to be interesting and thought provoking, and would highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of The Expanse and with even just a passing interest in philosophy. It's well worth a read!
June 19, 2023
Some very interesting submissions! I’m not particularly well versed in philosophy but I had no trouble following along. A great read for die-hard fans of The Expanse.
June 27, 2025
A well-constructed series of essays that requires only minimal outside knowledge, TEaP:SFOItD uses the lens of the (most excellent) television series to explain a range of topics involving both political and personal philosophy.
August 16, 2025
While some of the articles are interesting, most of them were not original enough or thoughtful enough to hold my interest.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews