All the way back in May, 2005, I opened up an email from a friend and found an announcement she copied for me – a call for papers. Specifically, this editor was soliciting submissions for his forthcoming book, Metallica & Philosophy (now available). I've been a Metallica fan since the early 80's and have a master's degree in philosophy, so I was elated and astonished. I just sat gaping at my monitor, eyes-wide and heart beginning to pound. "Metallica! And philosophy! Two of my greatest passions!"Hey, stop your laughing – it’s not really that weird of a combination at all! Consider:



For a hill, men would kill, Why? They do not know; Suffered wounds test their pride!
(from "For Whom The Bell Tolls" on Ride the Lightning)

Hear me! And if I close my mind in fear, please pry it open;
See me! And if my face becomes sincere, beware.
(from "The Outlaw Torn" on Load)

I'm your truth, telling lies; I'm your reasoned alibis; I'm inside, open your eyes; I'm you!
(from "Sad But True" on the Black Album)

Do you fear what I fear? Living properly – Truths to you are lies to me.
(from "Eye of the Beholder" on ...And Justice For All)

These are just a few of my favorite lines from Metallica songs – I could list many more and you could suggest your own. These are words that demand our attention. They grab a hold of our minds and make us think. They force us to consider and to question. Perhaps some truth resonates; perhaps some question nags. They stick in our head. The lyrics, the riff, the fury – they won’t let you be. This is exactly why Metallica deserves to have a dedicated team write a book about Metallica & Philosophy.

The book is the latest in the Blackwell Philosophy and PopCulture Series. I know not everyone regularly browses the Philosophy section of their local bookstore, so you may be unaware of these books. Blackwell is also bringing you South Park & Philosophy and Family Guy &
Philosophy. Don’t be scared – it’s really quite simple: each book is in the formula “_____ & Philosophy” and contains chapters contributed by various professors who will destroy any previous stereotype you had about them. No tweed jackets and stinky pipes here – these are guys (and gals!) you would watch the game with, have a drink with, jam with...

The idea of the books is to introduce philosophy to those who haven’t yet explored it, through the vehicle of something fun and familiar. You see, we philosophy-types know that philosophy is just an attitude – a way of looking at things and asking questions. This stance is something inherent and inescapable in every human’s nature. Philosophy can be (and is!) everywhere, including within your favorite music, movie, tv-show, etc. If you’ve spent any length of time listening to Metallica, you’ve been thinking philosophically whether you knew it or not. This book just makes the introduction a bit more official: Existentialism, meet Headbanger.


Pursuit of Truth, No Matter Where it Lies

So back to my story...I get this email and I get super excited. Honestly, I had much the same feeling as I got when I saw Shortest Straw #19 printed in So What! several years ago. The prize for that contest was a week on tour with Metallica and my mind said: “I am SO winning that!” Incidentally, I did and it was one of the coolest experiences ever! Well, I read this announcement and thought: “I am SO writing for this book!” I ended up doing so and – I shit you not – the experience was on the same level of awesomeness as the Metallica tour.

But there’s a bit of drama and suspense before I get there. I turn in some proposals, but unlike the other contributors, I’m not a professional philosopher. I didn’t finish my PhD and I’m not regularly teaching and writing about philosophy (though I have never stopped reading philosophy, thinking philosophically and seeking philosophical conversation). There was some tough competition, as the people writing for these books are very talented. To be flat-out honest, I got DENIED! But not quite like that...


Enter Editor-man

Bill Irwin is the editor of the Philosophy and PopCulture series, and like any good metal fan, is as real as they come. He was straightforward yet tactful in letting me know he had to pick and choose who would contribute. Bill explained that at first he wasn’t sure if this project would get off the ground. But in the end he was pleasantly surprised at the overwhelming response; more than forty philosophy professors from all over the world had submitted proposals. Wow! That was great news because as much as this book is a synthesis of things to which I’ve devoted lots of time and energy and I really wanted to write for it, really I just wanted it to rock! Bill and I kept in touch, and he asked me to read a contribution that was submitted early. I had a blast doing so and we discussed my reading and providing feedback for more chapters. Fine with me – I was just excited to be part of the project. Not only because it tapped into my interests, but also because I knew of Bill’s previous books including The Simpsons and Philosophy and
The Matrix and Philosophy and was looking forward to the chance to work with him.

Then, lo and behold, a contributor has to drop out and I’m in!


Jump in the Fire

The topic of my chapter is Metallica’s “One” and the relationship between mind & body. We all have bodies. This we know and don’t really doubt. (Well, we philosophers do, because we question everything. It’s annoying to everyone else but beneficial to us because we learn a lot!) We also have minds. But what is a mind? Is it physical – is “the mind” the same as “the brain”? Thoughts and ideas aren’t physical. Nor are memories, feelings, or dreams...so maybe the mind that thinks them isn’t either! If the mind isn’t physical, how does it interact with the body? Isn’t there a translation problem? Come to think of it, why do we even need a body? (If you’re getting a headache already, you might ask, why do we need a mind?!) Well, philosophy asks all this too.

I focus on the philosopher Descartes in my chapter. You might know of him, since he uttered philosophy’s most famous phrase, “I think therefore I am.” If you haven’t actually thought about that before, what he’s saying is: because I’m aware of my own thoughts, there must be some thing thinking them, and that is me. So I must exist! Well, now think about “One” – a whole lot of questions come up about mind, body, how they relate and what it is to live. No? If you don’t think so, read my chapter!

I’d also like to share that Bill invited me to take a crack at creating the book’s index. I was happy to have even more involvement and accepted the responsibility, but had no idea what I was in for. You’ll see in the book that Bill named it “The Phantom Lord’s Index,” but at times I sure thought of it as “The Thing Which Should Not Be!” I turned in the index in November 2006, so it really was a "Year and a Half in the Life Of..."!


Free to Speak My Mind Anywhere

As a fan, you already know that Metallica offers us a commentary on everything from war, corruption, insanity and isolation to addiction, execution and suicide. It’s quite likely you’ve defended what Metallica has to say to a parent, teacher or friend. It’s very likely you’ve enjoyed passionate discussions about the issues in Metallica’s lyrics with a fellow fan. The authors who contributed to Metallica and Philosophy now invite you to consider them with us. We spent a lot of time thinking, reading, writing, corresponding with each other and re-writing, until we were finally happy with the collection of chapters now available in Metallica & Philosophy.

The book looks at all kinds of great stuff. Many chapters are like mine, taking a song or two and looking at what Metallica is saying, tying in what philosophers say about the same issue. For example, one chapter looks at insanity and the treatment of those deemed insane, as seen in "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and as explored by philosopher Michel Foucault. Another discusses the ethics of the death penalty, as seen in "Ride the Lightning." Some chapters look at Metallica’s body of work more largely and draw on themes or larger philosophical movements, such as existentialism. Another delves into Metallica and religion, and yet another examines competing systems of virtue as seen in Metallica. The chapters are not constrained to Metallica’s music either, but also look at Metallica as a band and as individual human beings, their actions and their choices. Every Metallica fan has surely debated the catalog, pre- and post-Load. There’s a chapter in the book that looks at the allegations of selling-out through the lens of moral responsibility and what we owe to each other. Every Metallica fan has strong opinions about the band’s involvement with Napster. A philosopher (which means trained in logic) will put some of those arguments under the microscope.

You can view the Table of Contents yourself at Blackwell’s website. I've already read the book because I’m lucky enough to have worked with Bill and the others by reading and commenting on their submissions. For me, that means I had that much more fun, since I love sharing ideas. But for you, this means I’ve already read every chapter in the book, and can vouch for them being great! So go ahead and click this link to purchase the book or get out to your local bookstore, because this book is something every fan should have.