Rick and Morty and Philosophy: In the Beginning Was the Squanch

by Lester C. ABesamis (Editor), Wayne Yuen (Editor)

Overview

The adult-oriented science-fiction cartoon series Rick and Morty, shown on Cartoon Network as part of its late-night Adult Swim feature, is famous for its nihilistic anti-hero Rick Sanchez. Rick is a character who rejects God, religion, and meaning, but who embraces science and technology.


This leads to a popular show that often presents a world view favorable to science and dismissive of spirituality. It is existentialism mashed up with absurdism with a healthy (or unhealthy) dose of dick jokes thrown in. Rick and Morty and Philosophy focuses on the philosophical underpinnings of the show.


The authors explain and develop ideas that are mentioned or illustrated in various episodes, so that fans can get really solid evidence for what they know already: this show is awesome and deep. Rick has access to technology that allows him to jump between dimensions or realities. He brings his grandson, Morty, along with him on these adventures, often putting Morty in mortal danger. However, Rick’s attitude is that there are an infinite number of Mortys in the multiverse, so if his Morty dies, he can always replace his Morty with another Morty from a different dimension. One question that arises is, are these Mortys really identical to each other? And if one of them dies, can he really be replaced without loss?


Another character in the show is Jerry, the husband of Rick’s daughter. Jerry is a complete and total loser with no self-respect, desperate to get any kind of respect from others. Why is it so important that he has self-respect? How does his lack of self-respect affect those around him? In one adventure, Jerry finds himself in a position where he can save one of the greatest civil rights leaders in the universe whose heart is failing. Jerry can save his life by donating his penis, which is the perfect organ to match the alien’s failing heart. Does Jerry have a moral obligation to do so? Recently, ethicists such as Peter Singer and Julian Savulescu have argued that people have a moral obligation to donate a kidney to people who need one. Why wouldn’t the same apply to Jerry’s penis? Is such a donation above and beyond a moral obligation, and consequently optional, or is it a basic moral obligation and therefore required, as noted ethicists like Singer and Savulescu suggest?


This volume also includes chapters that examine the experience of watching Rick and Morty. One writer argues that many of the Rick and Morty episodes induce within viewers a state of “Socratic aporia,” or confusion. Viewers are forced to reflect on their own moral beliefs about the world when characters do something that seems good but results in horrendous consequences.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780812694642
Publisher:	Open Court Publishing Company
Publication date:	02/05/2019
Series:	Popular Culture and Philosophy , #125
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,022,572
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Lester C. Abesamis is a philosophy instructor who teaches at Chabot College and Ohlone College in California.

Wayne Yuen is a philosophy professor at Ohlone College. He is the editor of The Walking Dead and Philosophy: Zombie Apocalypse Now and The Ultimate Walking Dead and Philosophy: Hungry for More and the co-editor of Neil Gaiman and Philosophy: Gods Gone Wild.

Table of Contents

Scientifically, Introductions Are an Idiot Thing ix

I So We Bailed on That Reality and We Came to This One 1

1 The Genuine Article Φ-173 Rick Sanchez 3

2 The Unimportance of Identity When You Have a Portal Gun Chris Lay 13

3 The M. Night Sh-imulation Hypothesis Charlene Elsby 25

4 Could a Divine Creator Turn Out to Be a Selfish Jerk? Eric J. Silverman Connor Channer 35

5 Who'd Rick Kill? Or, Who Killed Rick? Elliot Knuths 45

6 Truth in a Multiverse Elizabeth Rard 53

II Come Watch TV 61

7 Rick and Morty as Socratic Television John Altmann 63

8 Neither the Hero You Deserve Nor the Hero You Need Lester C. Abesamis 71

9 The Fallacy of the Many Heads Courtney Beresheim 83

10 On Being and Meeseeks Charles Klayman 91

11 Are You Imagining That Poopybutthole? Lester C. Abesamis 103

III I Have No Code of Ethics, Just Love Killin' 61

12 Jerry's Dick Wayne Yuen H-232 117

13 Rick, Morty, and the Cure for Unhappiness William Tebokkel Adam Baseman 129

14 Jerryboree! Daniel Malloy 139

15 Loving Your Pet Is Better than Utilitarianism Rob Luzecky 147

IV God, Grandpa, You're Such a Dick! 157

16 He's Ethickle Rick!!! Matthew Hummel 159

17 Who Is "Rick" Anyway? Ethan Landes 171

18 What Makes Rick Tick? John V. Karavitis 181

19 The Citadel of Ricks Is Untruth Matthew Brake 191

20 Getting Your Shit Together Stoic Style Travis Taft 201

Bibliography 211

Citadel of Authors 215

Index 223