A philosophical exploration of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved classicjust in time for the December 2012 release of Peter Jackson's new film adaptation,The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

J.R.R. Tolkien'sThe Hobbit is one of the best-loved fantasy books of all time and the enchanting "prequel" toThe Lord of the Rings. With the help of some of history's great philosophers, this book ponders a host of deep questions raised in this timeless tale, such as: Are adventures simply "nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things" that "make you late for dinner," or are they exciting and potentially life-changing events? What duties do friends have to one another? Should mercy be extended even to those who deserve to die?

From the happy halls of Elrond's Last Homely House to Gollum's "slimy island of rock," this is a must read for longtime Tolkien fans as well as those discovering Bilbo Baggins and his adventures "there and back again" for the first time.

Gregory Bassham is Chair of the Philosophy Department at King's College and a professor of philosophy. He editedThe Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy and co-editedThe Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy (Open Court) andThe Lord of the Rings and Philosophy.

Eric Bronson is a visiting professor in the Humanities Department at York University in Toronto, Canada. He is the editor ofPoker and Philosophy (2012), and co-editor ofThe Lord of the Rings and Philosophy (2003) andBaseball and Philosophy (2011).

William Irwin is Professor of Philosophy at King's College. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestsellingThe Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles includingHouse and Philosophy, Batman and Philosophy, andAlice in Wonderland and Philosophy.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thag You Very Buch x

Introduction: Never Laugh at Live Philosophers 1
Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson

PART ONE DISCOVER YOUR INNER TOOK

1 The Adventurous Hobbit 7
Gregory Bassham

2 The Road Goes Ever On and On: A Hobbits Tao 20
Michael C. Brannigan

3 Big Hairy Feet: A Hobbits Guide to Enlightenment 32
Eric Bronson

4 Bilbo Baggins: The Cosmopolitan Hobbit 45
Dennis Knepp

PART TWO THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE SLIMY

5 The Glory of Bilbo Baggins 61
Charles Taliaferro and Craig Lindahl-Urben

6 Pride and Humility in The Hobbit 74
Laura Garcia

7 My Precious: Tolkien on the Perils of Possessiveness 90
Anna Minore and Gregory Bassham

8 Tolkiens Just War 103
David Kyle Johnson

9 Pretty Fair Nonsense: Art and Beauty in The Hobbit 118
Philip Tallon

10 Hobbitus Ludens: Why Hobbits Like to Play and Why We Should, Too 129
David L. OHara

PART THREE RIDDLES AND RINGS

11 The Lord of Magic and Machines: Tolkien on Magic and Technology 147
W. Christopher Stewart

12 Inside The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins and the Paradox of Fiction 161
Amy Kind

13 Philosophy in the Dark: The Hobbit and Hermeneutics 176
Tom Grimwood

PART FOUR BEING THERE AND BACK AGAIN

14 Some Hobbits Have All the Luck 193
Randall M. Jensen

15 The Consolation of Bilbo: Providence and Free Will in Middle-Earth 206
Grant Sterling

16 Out of the Frying Pan: Courage and Decision Making in Wilderland 218
Jamie Carlin Watson

17 There and Back Again: A Song of Innocence and Experience 235
Joe Kraus

CONTRIBUTORS: Our Most Excellent and Audacious Contributors 251

INDEX: The Moon Letters 257