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RELEASED: Dec. 18, 2003
DANVILLE, KY—Anticipation is high for the third and final installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which opened in movie theaters on Dec. 17.
The blockbuster-hit series has brought J.R.R. Tolkien's works back to the mainstream.
But Jennifer McMahon, assistant professor of philosophy at Centre, hopes viewers take more away from the movie than just an appreciation of its imagery and special effects.
McMahon and Steve Csaki, visiting assistant professor of philosophy and Japanese, have co-written an article titled "Talking Trees and Walking Mountains: Buddhist and Taoist Themes in The Lord of the Rings." The article is published in the recently released book The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy (Open Court Press).
The article explores Tolkien's account of kinship with nature, the master/student relationship and good and evil.
"The hope is to inspire in the general public a deeper appreciation for philosophy and a greater understanding of its relevance," McMahon said.
To order a copy of The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy, go to http://www.opencourtbooks.com/books_n/lotr_and_philosophy.htm.
McMahon has presented papers on a diverse range of topics at both national and international conferences. She has published articles in journals including Asian Philosophy and The Journal of the Association for Interdisciplinary Study of the Arts. She has also published other essays on philosophy and popular culture in the books Seinfeld and Philosophy, The Matrix and Philosophy and The Simpsons and Philosophy, also releases from Open Court Press.
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