Metallica and Philosophy

Book excerpt: Hit the lights and jump in the fire, you’re about to enterthe School of Rock! Today’s lecture will be a crash course inbrain surgery. This hard and fast lesson is taught by instructorswho graduated from the old school—they actually paid $5.98for The $5.98 EP. But back before these philosophyprofessors cut their hair, they were lieutenants in the MetalMilitia. A provocative study of the ‘thinking man’s’metal band Maps out the connections between Aristotle, Nietzsche, Marx,Kierkegaard, and Metallica, to demonstrate the band’sphilosophical significance Uses themes in Metallica’s work to illuminate topics suchas freedom, truth, identity, existentialism, questions of life anddeath, metaphysics, epistemology, the mind-body problem, morality,justice, and what we owe one another Draws on Metallica’s lyrical content, Lars Ulrich’srelationship with Napster, as well as the documentary Some Kindof Monster Serves as a guide for thinking through the work of one of thegreatest rock bands of all time Compiled by the editor of Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Bookabout Everything and Nothing and The Simpsons andPhilosophy: The D’oh! of Homer