Dexter and Philosophy Read online

  Table of Contents

  Popular Culture and Philosophy

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Know Thyself?

  BODY PART I - Maiming and Necessity

  Chapter 1 - The Killing Joke

  What Is a Superhero?

  Deeds Not Words

  Origin Stories: The Orphan Makes Good

  The Superhero Syndrome

  The Only Truly Decent Man Left on the Planet

  Chapter 2 - Dexter’s Pointy Ears

  Dexter’s Loss Is Our Gain

  The Spock Problem

  The Dexter Problem

  As Goes Dexter, So Go We?

  The Good Life and The Dexter-like Life

  Chapter 3 - Dearly Damaged Dexter

  You’re a Killer, I Catch Killers

  I’ve Always Sensed There Was Something Off about Him

  A Little Bird with a Broken Wing

  You Can’t Help What Happened to You. But You Can Make the Best of It

  Chapter 4 - Can We Blame a Man with No Choice?

  How Much Control Does Dexter Have Over the Butcher’s Knife?

  Does Inevitability Absolve Us?

  Judge Frankfurt Rules Dexter Guilty

  Any Way You Slice It

  Almost Caught!

  Chapter 5 - What Dexter Doesn’t Know Can Hurt You

  Reasonable Doubts

  Bodies of Evidence

  Hey Dex, Is Your Spidey-Sense Tingling Yet?

  More than a Feeling?

  Chapter 6 - Dexter the Self-Interpreting Animal

  Dexter’s Inescapable Framework

  Has Dexter Overcome Humanity?

  The Need for Recognition

  A Story in Search of a Narrator

  Chapter 7 - Is Dexter Morgan Practically Perfect in Every Way?

  Groomin’ Lumen

  Corrupting the Youth of Miami

  The Homicidal Imperative?

  Kickin’ It New School

  I’ve Got No Strings . . .

  BODY PART II - The Cut of Dexter’s Jib

  Chapter 8 - Dexter’s Mirror

  The Seduction of Blood

  The Void, Dread, and Murder

  Dexter’s Ritual Transcendence of Death

  All for Love

  Chapter 9 - A Very Special Kind of Monster

  Corpses and Nothingness

  Violence and the Return of the Abject

  Taking Out the (Six) Garbage (Bags)

  Kicking the Dark Passenger

  Rule Number One

  Chapter 10 - The Sublime Dexter

  The Power of the Sublime

  The Passions Aroused by the Sublime

  Look for Something Bludgeony

  Dexter’s Aesthetics

  Chapter 11 - Dexter’s Specimens

  Try Our New Dahmerland Section at Specimens ‘R’ Us

  Counting Specimen Slides

  Dexter, Specimen Maker

  Buddy’s Bones

  Born Free of All That’s Human

  Pulled Pork Sandwiches and the Sexual Politics of Meat

  You Kidnapped a Cop This Time, You Know? Not Some Invisible Hooker

  Designing Women in Dexter

  Homosocially Yours, Dexter

  Specimen Watching

  BODY PART III - What Would Dexter Do?

  Chapter 12 - Pathetic Rule Follower or Vigilante Hero?

  What Is a Moral Code?

  Weird but Likeable Psychopath?

  Emotions, and Rules, and Morality (Oh My!)

  Good? Evil? Icky? Sticky?

  Vigilante Hero?

  Chapter 13 - Deontology in Dahmerland

  Why Might Dexter Be Amoral?

  The Three Moral Theories

  Dexter’s Deadly Virtues

  The Dark Defender and the Needs of the Many

  Dexter’s Dark Deontology

  You Control Your Urges—They Do Not Control You

  Chapter 14 - Best of Luck, Dexter!

  Picking Up the Dark Passenger

  Better You than Me, Dex!

  Teaching the Code of Harry

  . . . And No More Fucking Remorse

  Where the Bodies Lie

  Chapter 15 - Why Kill or Not Kill? That Is the Question

  The Mind Thinking about Its Sense of Duty

  Dexter Doing His Duty Dutifully?

  The Mind Serves the Heart

  Harry’s House

  Dexter Is a Needy Ned

  De-Deontologizing Dexter

  BODY PART IV - Bad Blood and Bad Behavior

  Chapter 16 - The Discipline of Dexter’s Punishment

  The Wimpiness of Modern Punishment

  Following Harry’s Code

  You Can’t Always Kill Whom You Want

  One Minute, You’re on Top of the World, the Next, Dexter’s Table

  Dexter Is the Sovereign We’ve Been Waiting For

  The Final Thrust to the Abdomen

  Chapter 17 - Dexter the Busy Bee

  Killing Killers, Saving Lives

  The Thrill of the Kill

  Bad Motives, Good Actions

  Enter the Man-Devil

  A Poem that Will Live in Infamy

  A Second Look at Dexter’s Motives

  Chapter 18 - You Hurt Her, You Hurt Me

  Why Does Dexter Need a Family if Blood Is His Life?

  Dexter’s Awkward Sexual Advances

  Sex, Power, and Knowing Thyself

  Morgan or Moser?

  Chapter 19 - Dexter’s Whiteness

  The Problem of Whiteness

  The Invisible Killer

  Murder and the Mise-en-Scène of Whiteness

  Death, Sex, and Dexter

  Chapter 20 - Happiness, Dexter Style

  One Code to Kill Them All

  Dexter: The Family Man?

  Beyond the Code, Beyond the Lies

  Can a Serial Killer Be Happy?

  BODY PART V - Dexter’s Bloodline

  Chapter 21 - Dexter Unmasked

  Everyday Masks

  Nietzsche’s Masks

  Dark Passengers

  True Blood

  Deeply Dissecting Dexter

  Chapter 22 - Neither Man nor Beast

  Being Bad Feels So Good

  The Self-Controlled Person

  The Morally Strong Person

  The Morally Weak Person

  The Self-Indulgent Person

  The Beast and the Saint

  Locating Dexter on the Scale

  Fine, I’m a Sociopath, but Do I Have to Feel Bad About it?

  But Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

  Becoming a Real Boy

  Chapter 23 - Dexter SPQR

  Nietzsche’s Bay Harbor Beast

  Conscience and Guilt

  What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

  The Ethics of Dexter’s Appeal

  Chapter 24 - Dexter’s Look

  Bad Faith

  Dexter as Master

  Caught in the Act

  Look at What You’ve Done!

  Bad or Bad Faith?

  Chapter 25 - Safe Dex

  Dexter the Just Man

  Rooting for a Killer

  Our Killers, Right or Wrong

  The Retribution of Raffles

  Enter the Bulldog

  Enter the Saint

  Decline of the Vigilante Novel

  Dexter, Hero of Our Time

  The Perps

  Index

  Copyright Page

  Popular Culture and Philosophy ®

  Series Editor: George A. Reisch

  VOLUME 1

  Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about

&nbs
p; Everything and Nothing (2000)

  VOLUME 2

  The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh!

  of Homer (2001)

  VOLUME 3

  The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to

  the Desert of the Real (2002)

  VOLUME 4

  Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy:

  Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale (2003)

  VOLUME 5

  The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy:

  One Book to Rule Them All (2003)

  VOLUME 9

  Harry Potter and Philosophy:

  If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (2004)

  VOLUME 12

  Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful

  than You Can Possibly Imagine (2005)

  VOLUME 13

  Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth,

  Justice, and the Socratic Way (2005)

  VOLUME 17

  Bob Dylan and Philosophy: It’s Alright

  Ma (I’m Only Thinking) (2006)

  VOLUME 18

  Harley-Davidson and Philosophy:

  Full-Throttle Aristotle (2006)

  VOLUME 19

  Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge

  Nudge, Think Think! (2006)

  VOLUME 24

  Bullshit and Philosophy: Guaranteed to

  Get Perfect Results Every Time (2006)

  VOLUME 25

  The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You

  Can Think that Can’t Be Thunk (2006)

  VOLUME 26

  South Park and Philosophy: Bigger,

  Longer, and More Penetrating (2007)

  Edited by Richard Hanley

  VOLUME 28

  The Grateful Dead and Philosophy:

  Getting High Minded about Love and

  Haight (2007) Edited by Steven Gimbel

  VOLUME 29

  Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy:

  How to Philosophize with a Pair of Pliers

  and a Blowtorch (2007) Edited by

  Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad

  VOLUME 30

  Pink Floyd and Philosophy: Careful with

  that Axiom, Eugene! (2007) Edited by

  George A. Reisch

  VOLUME 31

  Johnny Cash and Philosophy: The

  Burning Ring of Truth (2008) Edited by

  John Huss and David Werther

  VOLUME 32

  Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy:

  Darkness on the Edge of Truth (2008)

  Edited by Randall E. Auxier and Doug

  Anderson

  VOLUME 33

  Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy:

  Mission Accomplished or Mission Frakked

  Up? (2008) Edited by Josef Steiff and

  Tristan D. Tamplin

  VOLUME 34

  iPod and Philosophy: iCon of an ePoch

  (2008) Edited by D.E. Wittkower

  VOLUME 35

  Star Trek and Philosophy: The Wrath of

  Kant (2008) Edited by Jason T. Eberl and

  Kevin S. Decker

  VOLUME 36

  The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy:

  I Link Therefore I Am (2008) Edited by

  Luke Cuddy

  VOLUME 37

  The Wizard of Oz and Philosophy:

  Wicked Wisdom of the West (2008) Edited

  by Randall E. Auxier and Phillip S. Seng

  VOLUME 38

  Radiohead and Philosophy: Fitter Happier

  More Deductive (2009) Edited by Brandon

  W. Forbes and George A. Reisch

  VOLUME 39

  Jimmy Buffett and Philosophy: The

  Porpoise Driven Life (2009) Edited by

  Erin McKenna and Scott L. Pratt

  VOLUME 40

  Transformers and Philosophy (2009)

  Edited by John Shook and Liz

  Stillwaggon Swan

  VOLUME 41

  Stephen Colbert and Philosophy:

  I Am Philosophy (And So Can You!)

  (2009) Edited by Aaron Allen Schiller

  VOLUME 42

  Supervillains and Philosophy: Sometimes,

  Evil Is Its Own Reward (2009) Edited by

  Ben Dyer

  VOLUME 43

  The Golden Compass and Philosophy: God

  Bites the Dust (2009) Edited by Richard

  Greene and Rachel Robison

  VOLUME 44

  Led Zeppelin and Philosophy: All Will Be

  Revealed (2009) Edited by Scott Calef

  VOLUME 45

  World of Warcraft and Philosophy: Wrath

  of the Philosopher King (2009) Edited by

  Luke Cuddy and John Nordlinger

  Volume 46

  Mr. Monk and Philosophy: The Curious

  Case of the Defective Detective (2010)

  Edited by D.E. Wittkower

  Volume 47

  Anime and Philosophy: Wide Eyed

  Wonder (2010) Edited by Josef Steiff and

  Tristan D. Tamplin

  VOLUME 48

  The Red Sox and Philosophy: Green

  Monster Meditations (2010) Edited by

  Michael Macomber

  VOLUME 49

  Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy: New

  Life for the Undead (2010) Edited by

  Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad

  VOLUME 50

  Facebook and Philosophy: What’s on Your

  Mind? (2010) Edited by D.E. Wittkower

  VOLUME 51

  Soccer and Philosophy: Beautiful

  Thoughts on the Beautiful Game (2010)

  Edited by Ted Richards

  VOLUME 52

  Manga and Philosophy: Fullmetal

  Metaphysician (2010) Edited by Josef

  Steiff and Adam Barkman

  VOLUME 53

  Martial Arts and Philosophy: Beating

  and Nothingness (2010) Edited by

  Graham Priest and Damon Young

  VOLUME 54

  The Onion and Philosophy: Fake News

  Story True, Alleges Indignant Area

  Professor (2010) Edited by Sharon M. Kaye

  VOLUME 55

  Doctor Who and Philosophy: Bigger on

  the Inside (2010) Edited by Courtland

  Lewis and Paula Smithka

  VOLUME 56

  Dune and Philosophy: Weirding Way of

  the Mentat (2011) Edited by Jeffery

  Nicholas

  VOLUME 57

  Rush and Philosophy: Heart and Mind

  United (2011) Edited by Jim Berti and

  Durrell Bowman

  VOLUME 58

  Dexter and Philosophy: Mind ove Spatter

  (2011) Edited by Richard Greene, George

  A. Reisch, and Rachel Robison

  IN PREPARATION:

  Halo and Philosophy (2011) Edited by Luke Cuddy

  Spongebob Squarepants and Philosophy (2011) Edited by Joseph Foy

  Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy (2011) Edited by Josef Steiff

  Philip K. Dick and Philosophy (2011) Edited by D.E. Wittkower

  Inception and Philosophy (2011) Edited by Thorsten Botz-Bornstein

  Breaking Bad and Philosophy (2012) Edited by David R. Koepsell

  Curb Your Enthusiasm and Philosophy (2012) Edited by Mark Ralkowski

  The Rolling Stones and Philosophy (2012) Edited by Luke Dick and Gearge A. Reisch

  For full details of all Popular Culture and Philosophy® books, visit www.opencourtbooks.com.

  For Brandy Burfield

  Acknowledgments

  Working on this project has been a pleasure, in no small part because of the many fine folks who have assisted us along the way. In particular a debt of gratitude is owed to David Ramsay Steele at Open Court, the contributors to this volume, and our respective academic departments at UMass Amherst, Northwestern University, and Weber State University. Finally, we’d like to thank those family members, students, friends, and colleagues with whom we’ve had fruitf
ul and rewarding conversations on various aspects of all things Dexter as they relate to philosophical themes.