Mad Max and Philosophy
Thinking Through the Wasteland
The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series
1. Edition April 2024
256 Pages, Softcover
General Reading
Explore the philosophy at the core of the apocalyptic future of Mad Max
Beneath the stylized violence and thrilling car crashes, the Mad Max films consider universal questions about the nature of human life, order and anarchy, justice and moral responsibility, society and technology, and ultimately, human redemption. In Mad Max and Philosophy, a diverse team of political scientists, historians, and philosophers investigates the underlying themes of the blockbuster movie franchise, following Max as he attempts to rebuild himself and the world around him.
Requiring no background in philosophy, this engaging and highly readable book guides you through the barren wastelands of a post-apocalyptic future as you explore ethics and politics in The Wasteland, the importance of costumes and music, humankind's relationship with nature, commerce, gender, religion, madness, and much more.
* Covers all of George Miller's Mad Max films, including Mad Max: Fury Road
* Discusses connections between Mad Max and Nietzsche, Malthus, Mill, Foucault, Sartre, and other major philosophers
* Follows Max's journey from policeman and family man to lost soul in search of redemption
* Examines the future of technology and possible impacts on society, the environment, and access to natural resources
* Delves into feminist themes of Mad Max, such as the reversal of heroic gender roles in Fury Road and relationships between power and procreation
Part of the bestselling Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, Mad Max and Philosophy: Thinking Through the Wasteland is a must-read for anyone wanting to philosophically engage with Max, Furiosa, and their dystopian world.
Introduction: Doing Philosophy in the Wasteland xiv
Acknowledgments xvi
Part I Politics after the Pox-Eclipse: Anarchy, State, and Dystopia 1
1 Post-apocalyptic Anarchism in Mad Max 3
Aeon J. Skoble
2 Even on the Road, Violence Is Not the Same as Power 11
Anthony Petros Spanakos and Ian J. Drake
3 Thomas Hobbes and the State of Nature in the Wasteland 19
Greg Littmann
4 The Political Economy of Bartertown: Embeddedness of Markets, Peak Oil, the Tragedy of the Commons, and Lifeboat Ethics 29
Paul Thomas
5 From Wee Jerusalem to Fury Road: Does Mad Max Depict a Post-apocalyptic Dystopia? 38
Clint Jones
Part II The Man with No Name: Heroes and Finding Oneself Post-apocalypse Style 49
6 "Pray He's Still out There": Heroism in the Mad Max Films 51
Karen Joan Kohoutek
7 Bloodbags and Artificial Arms: Bodily Parthood in Mad Max: Fury Road 60
Joshua L. Tepley
8 The Meaning of Life According to Mad Max: Fury Road 71
Kiki Berk
Part III Building a Better Tomorrow! Ethics in Mad Max 83
9 What Saves the World? Care and Ecofeminism 85
Leigh Kellmann Kolb
10 Seeking the Good Life in the Wasteland 95
Andrew Kuzma
11 "We're Not to Blame!" Responsibility in the Wasteland 106
Justin Kitchen
12 "Look, Any Longer out on That Road and I'm One of Them, You Know?": Madness in Mad Max 116
Matthew P. Meyer
13 Justice, Reason, and the Road Warrior: A Mechanic Reads Plato 126
David H. Gordon
Part IV Mother's Milk: Gender and Intersectionality 135
14 Homecoming as Homemaking: The Rise of the Matriarchy in Mad Max: Fury Road 137
Daniel Conway
15 Liberating Mother's Milk: Imperator Furiosa's Ecofeminist Revolution 148
Jacob Quick
16 Demarginalizing Aunty Entity and Dismantling Thunderdome 159
Edwardo Pérez and Thanayi Jackson
17 Gayboy Berserkers at the Gate: Sex and Gender in the Wasteland 170
Jacob M. Held
Part V Wasteland Aesthetics: Music, Fashion, Australia, and Nature 181
18 Driving Insanity, Chaos, and Emotion: The Music of Mad Max: Fury Road 183
Lance Belluomini
19 Carapaces and Prosthetics: What Humans Wear in Mad Max: Fury Road 195
Laura T. Di Summa
20 Does It Matter How Australian the Apocalypse Is? 203
Greg Littmann
21 The Moral Aesthetics of Nature: Bioconservativism in Mad Max 215
David Koepsell
Index 226
DAVID KOEPSELL is an entrepreneur, author, philosopher, attorney, and educator whose recent research focuses on the issues arising at the intersection of science, technology, ethics, and public policy. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Texas A&M University.
