House and Philosophy

by Henry Jacoby

Book Overview

HOUSE AND PHILOSOPHY

Is being nice overrated?

Are we really just selfish, base animals crawling across Earth in a meaningless existence?

Would reading less and watching more television be good for you?

Is House a master of Eastern philosophy or just plain rude?

Dr. Gregory House is arguably the most complex and challenging antihero in the history of television, but is there more to this self-important genius than gray...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470316608
• ISBN13: 9780470316603
• Release Date: December 2008
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A must-read for all House fans with an interest in philosophy and ethics

I'm a big fan of the various series of books on philosophy and popular culture. (There are three such series that I'm aware of: "Popular Culture and Philosophy" from Open Court Publishing, the "Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series" from Wiley, and "The Philosophy of Popular Culture" from The University of Kentucky.) All of these series use popular culture -- TV shows, movies, music, popular books, sports, fads, etc. -- to illustrate important issues in philosophy and ethics. I have read several of the books in these series, and have been very impressed with all of them. I especially enjoyed reading "House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies" (which is part of the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series). As a lifelong student of philosophy, and a huge fan of the TV series "House, M.D.", I had to get this book. "House, M.D." is a show about Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant but misanthropic diagnostician with a razor sharp wit and a contemptuous disregard for the feelings of others. House has little use for hospital rules or medical ethics. He openly rebels against any form of authority that would attempt to interfere with his ability to do what he thinks is best. He abuses his staff, insults his patients, manipulates his friends, alienates everyone who cares about him, ridicules anyone who disagrees with him, and takes pleasure in making others as miserable as he is. He is an unrepentant drug addict, a heavy drinker, and a frequent client of prostitutes. He is a militant atheist with nothing but contempt for religion and conventional morality. He will not hesitate to break the law or violate other people's rights in order to get what he wants. He can be brutally honest or a boldfaced liar, depending on his mood and his motives. House is basically a sociopath. He also saves lives. He does it by solving medical mysteries that completely baffle other doctors. Although he doesn't really care about his patients as human beings, he is an obsessive puzzle solver; and he will not rest until he has figured out what is wrong and how to treat it. You wouldn't want House as your family doctor. But, if you were dying of a mysterious illness, you would definitely want House on the case. As you might imagine, this show raises a number of fascinating ethical and philosophical issues. Many of these issues are explored in this wonderful book: "House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies". One thing I really like about the essays in this book is that they are very well written and accessible, even to someone with no background in philosophy or medical ethics. Some of the other philosophy and popular culture books I have read have included essays that dealt with fairly esoteric philosophical issues, and would be more suitable for readers who have a fairly strong background in philosophy. But this book avoids that. I think that anyone who is a fan of "House, M.D." will find this book engaging, entertaining, enlightening, and easy to follow, even

A MUST FOR ALL HOUSE FANS

House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) If you are a TRUE HOUSE fan, this book is truly a MUST HAVE!! It helps you to understand "Gregory House" (and all the supporting cast of characters) and gives you insight into how the writers (and actors) created the TV Series (and cast), how they connect with each other within the Series, and the real life (or imaginary) persons -- i.e. Aristotle & Plato to Sherlock Holmes -- their personalities are taken from.

GREAT BOOK!!!

Since I got the book I could not stop reading it, is entertaining and most certainly intriguing. every chapter is a whole new meaning as well it gives insight to fans of the show as well in philosophy. BUY the book you will not regret is a must have.

Sehr gut!

This is a very interesting book. For anyone who is a fan of House, and is interested in the workds of people such as Freidrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, or nihilist and existentialist philosophy in general, or eastern philosophy like Taoism will find this a very good read.

A must read for House fans!

Even if you have no interest in philosophy, this book is truly satisfying for any fan of House. Each chapter examines a different aspect of the show, while relating it to an existing philosophical theory. If you're not interested in that aspect of the show, then don't worry because the writing will not confuse you. It is well written, clear and thought out. If, however, you have an interest in philosophy, then the introduction of philosophical theories is even more interesting and makes the show even more layered and in the words of Dr. House "cool."