Blues - Philosophy for Everyone: Thinking Deep About Feeling Low

Jesse R. Steinberg, Abrol Fairweather

John Wiley & Sons, Jan 3, 2012 - Philosophy - 248 pages

The philosophy of the blues

From B.B. King to Billie Holiday, Blues music not only sounds good, but has an almost universal appeal in its reflection of the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Its ability to powerfully touch on a range of social and emotional issues is philosophically inspiring, and here, a diverse range of thinkers and musicians offer illuminating essays that make important connections between the human condition and the Blues that will appeal to music lovers and philosophers alike.

Contents

• B B King in the Age: 16
• Wittgensteinian Reflections: 25
• The Blues as Cultural Expression: 38
• The Artistic Transformation of Trauma Loss: 51
• Why it Feels So Good to Feel So Blue: 66
• Coming Through the Dark: 75
• Blues and Catharsis: 84
• IF IT WERENT FOR BAD LUCK I WOULDNT: 95
• Nobody Loves: 111
• Blues as Musical Therapy: 121
• Religion: 131
• Blues as Story Song and Prayer: 142
• THE BLUE LIGHT WAS MY BABY AND: 153
• Even White Folks Get the Blues: 167
• Did Whites RipOff the Blues?: 176
• Class Race and Gender: 191
• Philosophical Blues Songs: 203

About the author

Jesse R. Steinberg is an assistant professor of philosophy and the director of the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. He has been a visiting professor at Victoria University in New Zealand, at the University of California at Riverside, and at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has published a number of articles on topics including philosophy of mind, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Abrol Fairweather is an instructor at San Francisco State University and the University of San Francisco. He has published in the area of Virtue Epistemology and sustains interests in philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and philosophy of language. He has contributed to popular culture volumes on Facebook and Dexter. The guitar, vocals, and lyrics of Lightnin' Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt are major influences.

Series editor:

Fritz Allhoff is an associate professor in the philosophy department at Western Michigan University, as well as a senior research fellow at the Australian National University's Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. In addition to editing the Philosophy for Everyone series, he is also the volume editor or co-editor for several titles, including Wine & Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), Whiskey & Philosophy (with Marcus P. Adams, Wiley, 2009), and Food & Philosophy (with Dave Monroe, Wiley-Blackwell, 2007). His academic research interests engage various facets of applied ethics, ethical theory, and the history and philosophy of science.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Blues - Philosophy for Everyone: Thinking Deep About Feeling Low; Volume 49 of Philosophy for Everyone
• Editors: Jesse R. Steinberg, Abrol Fairweather
• Contributors: Fritz Allhoff, Bruce Iglauer
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2012
• ISBN: 0470656808, 9780470656808
• Length: 248 pages
• Subjects: Philosophy / General; Philosophy / Religious