The Philosophy of Sherlock Holmes

Philip Tallon, David Baggett, Philip Tallon, David Baggett

• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN:
  9780813136714
• eBook ISBN:
  9780813136875
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Literature General

Arguably the most famous and recognized detective in history, Sherlock Holmes is considered by many to be the first pop icon of the modern age. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective has stood as a unique figure for more than a century with his reliance on logical rigor, his analytic precision, and his disregard of social mores. A true classic, the Sherlock Holmes character continues to entertain twenty-first-century audiences on the page, stage, and screen. In The Philosophy of Sherlock Holmes, a team of leading scholars use the beloved character as a window into the quandaries of existence, from questions of reality to the search for knowledge. The essays explore the sleuth's role in revealing some of the world's most fundamental philosophical issues, discussing subjects such as the nature of deception, the lessons enemies can teach us, Holmes's own potential for criminality, and the detective's unique but effective style of inductive reasoning. Emphasizing the philosophical debates raised by generations of devoted fans, this intriguing volume will be of interest to philosophers and Holmes enthusiasts alike.

Table of contents

• Front cover
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sherlock Holmes as Epistemologist
• Not the Crime, but the Man
• A Case of Insincerity
• Sherlock's Reasoning Toolbox
• Watsons, Adlers, Lestrades, and Moriarties
• Eliminating the Impossible
• Was It Morally Wrong to Kill Off Sherlock Holmes?
• Sherlock Holmes
• Sherlock Holmes and the Ethics of Hyperspecialization
• Passionate Objectivity in Sherlock Holmes
• The Industrious Sherlock Holmes
• The Dog That Did Not Bark
• Aristotle on Detective Fiction
• The Grim Reaper on Baker Street
• Acknowledgments
• Contributors
• Index