A meditation on the philosophical quandaries of the hit television show "The Big Bang Theory". It gives you insights on your favorite show characters, story lines, and ideas. It examines important themes involving ethics and virtue, science, semiotics, religion, and the human condition.

Acknowledgments ix Introduction: “Unraveling the Mysteries” 1 Part One “It All Began On A Warm Summer’s Evening In Greece”: Aristotelian Insights 1 Aristotle on Sheldon Cooper: Ancient Greek Meets Modern Geek 7Greg Littmann 2 “You’re a Sucky, Sucky Friend”: Seeking Aristotelian Friendship in The Big Bang Theory 21Dean A. Kowalski 3 The Big Bang Theory on the Use and Abuse of Modern Technology 35Kenneth Wayne Sayles III Part Two “Is It Wrong To Say I Love Our Killer Robot?”: Ethics And Virtue 4 Feeling Bad about Feeling Good: Is It Morally Wrong to Laugh at Sheldon? 51W. Scott Clifton 5 . . . But Is Wil Wheaton Evil? 65Donna Marie Smith 6 Do We Need a Roommate Agreement?: Pleasure, Selfishness, and Virtue in The Big Bang Theory 80Gregory L. Bock and Jeffrey L. Bock Part Three “Perhaps You Mean A Different Thing Than I Do When You Say ‘Science’”: Science, Scientism, And Religion 7 Getting Fundamental about Doing Physics in The Big Bang Theory 99Jonathan Lawhead 8 Sheldon, Leonard, and Leslie: The Three Faces of Quantum Gravity 112Andrew Zimmerman Jones 9 The One Paradigm to Rule Them All: Scientism and The Big Bang Theory 128Massimo Pigliucci 10 Cooper Considerations: Science, Religion, and Family 144Adam Barkman and Dean A. Kowalski Part Four “I Need Your Opinion On A Matter Of Semiotics”: Language And Meaning 11 Wittgenstein and Language Games in The Big Bang Theory 161Janelle Pötzsch 12 “I’m Afraid You Couldn’t Be More Wrong!”: Sheldon and Being Right about Being Wrong 175Adolfas Mackonis 13 The Cooper Conundrum: Good Lord, Who’s Tolerating Whom? 189Ruth E. Lowe 14 The Mendacity Bifurcation 203Don Fallis Part Five “The Human Experience That Has Always Eluded Me”: The Human Condition 15 Mothers and Sons of The Big Bang Theory 219Ashley Barkman 16 Penny, Sheldon, and Personal Growth through Difference 233Nicholas G. Evans 17 Deconstructing the Women of The Big Bang Theory: So Much More Than Girlfriends 244Mark D. White and Maryanne L. Fisher The Episode Compendium: “Hey, It’s a Big Menu—There’s Two Pages Just for Desserts” 257 Contributors:“But If We Were Part of the Team . . . We Could Drink for Free in Any Bar in Any College Town” 261 Index: “Cornucopia . . . Let’s Make That Our Word of the Day” 267

What would Aristotle make of Sheldon Cooper's life? Why would Thomas Hobbes applaud the roommate agreement? Why would Immanuel Kant heap haughty derision upon weaving un-unravelable webs? Is Sheldon's "scientistic" approach to everyday life healthy or doomed to failure? Is Wil Wheaton truly evil? The answers to your most pressing questions about The Big Bang Theory and its goofy geniuses can be found inside The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy. Packed with irresistibly geek-worthy insights on your favorite characters, storylines, and ideas, this book examines important themes involving ethics and virtue, science, semiotics, religion, and the human condition. It brings the thinking of some of the world's greatest philosophers to bear on key aspects of the show, from Aristotle and Plato to Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Simone de Beauvoir, and others. You might find other philosophy books on science and cosmology, but only this one refers to Darth Vader Force-chokes, cloning Leonard Nimoy, and oompa-loompa-like engineers. Essential reading for every fan of The Big Bang Theory, this book explores whether comic book–wielding geeks can lead the good life, and whether they can know enough science to "tear the mask off nature and stare at the face of God." Bazinga!