Taylor Swift and Philosophy

Taylor Swift and Philosophy

Author: Catherine M. Robb

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2024-10-01

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 1394238592

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Is Taylor Swift a philosopher? What can her songs tell us about ethics and society? What is the nature of friendship? Should you forgive someone for breaking your heart? Taylor Swift is a “Mastermind” when it comes to relationships, songwriting, and performing sold-out stadium tours. But did you know that Taylor is also a philosophical mastermind? Taylor Swift and Philosophy is the first book to explore the philosophical topics that arise from Taylor Swift’s life and music. Edited and authored by Swifties who also happen to be philosophers and scholars, this fun and engaging book is written with general readers in mind—you don’t have to be a devoted fan or a specialist in philosophy to explore the themes, concepts, and questions expressed in Taylor’s songs. Presenting top-tier research and new perspectives on important contemporary issues, twenty-seven chapters discuss the philosophical contexts of Taylor’s work, such as the ethics of reputational damage, the impacts of first impressions, the moral obligation to speak out against injustice, and much more. Taylor Swift and Philosophy is a must-read for Swifties who want to deepen their appreciation and understanding of Taylor’s work, as well as for philosophy students and scholars with an interest in popular culture and media studies.


Taylor Swift and the Philosophy of Re-recording

Taylor Swift and the Philosophy of Re-recording

Author: Brandon Polite

Publisher:

Published: 2025-01-23

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 1350421553

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When Taylor Swift's record label was sold in 2019, the six studio albums she recorded for them came under the control of a person with whom she has had years of bad blood: Kanye West's former manager Scooter Braun. But rather than move on, Swift chose to take the unprecedented step of re-recording duplicate versions of those albums. With all of the profits made from selling, streaming, and licensing these “Taylor's Versions” going directly to Swift, she could deprive Braun of potentially hundreds of millions of dollars. The gambit has already paid off. The first two Taylor's Versions (of Fearless and Red) debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard charts and have sold over one million copies so far; and four more are still on the way. In this book, nine philosophers and one music producer explore the philosophical richness of Swift's project and the questions it raises: Are Swift's re-recordings new works of art or mere copies of the originals? Do the Taylor's Versions of the songs have the same meanings as the original versions, or do they now mean something different? Is her re-recording project genuinely artistic or merely commercial? Is Swift standing up for artists' rights or looking out for herself? Does the music industry exploit artists, and, if so, how should it be reformed? Together they show the philosophical dividends one of the most famous and acclaimed recording artists of her generation is capable of producing. For anyone interested in the complicated relationship between popular art and commerce this book is a must-read.


Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Author: Liv Spencer

Publisher: ECW Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 1550229311

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Chronicling the meteoric rise of one of today's hottest musical stars, this comprehensive biography reveals how Swift has conquered the pop and country music charts, earned a shelf full of awards, and broke multiple chart records--all before turning 20.


Nasty, Brutish, and Short

Nasty, Brutish, and Short

Author: Scott Hershovitz

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2022-05-03

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 1984881825

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An NPR Best Book of 2022 * One of Christian Science Monitor's 10 best books of May “This amazing new book . . . takes us on a journey through classic and contemporary philosophy powered by questions like ‘What do we have the right to do? When is it okay to do this or that?’ They explore punishment and authority and sex and gender and race and the nature of truth and knowledge and the existence of God and the meaning of life and Scott just does an incredible job.” —Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic Some of the best philosophers in the world gather in surprising places—preschools and playgrounds. They debate questions about metaphysics and morality, even though they’ve never heard the words and perhaps can’t even tie their shoes. They’re kids. And as Scott Hershovitz shows in this delightful debut, they’re astoundingly good philosophers. Hershovitz has two young sons, Rex and Hank. From the time they could talk, he noticed that they raised philosophical questions and were determined to answer them. They re-created ancient arguments. And they advanced entirely new ones. That’s not unusual, Hershovitz says. Every kid is a philosopher. Following an agenda set by Rex and Hank, Hershovitz takes us on a fun romp through classic and contemporary philosophy, powered by questions like, Does Hank have the right to drink soda? When is it okay to swear? and, Does the number six exist? Hershovitz and his boys take on more weighty issues too. They explore punishment, authority, sex, gender, race, the nature of truth and knowledge, and the existence of God. Along the way, they get help from professional philosophers, famous and obscure. And they show that all of us have a lot to learn from listening to kids—and thinking with them. Hershovitz calls on us to support kids in their philosophical adventures. But more than that, he challenges us to join them so that we can become better, more discerning thinkers and recapture some of the wonder kids have at the world.


Aesthetics

Aesthetics

Author: Bence Nanay

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 0198826613

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Bence Nanay introduces aesthetics, a branch of philosophy that explores the nature of art, beauty, and taste. Looking beyond traditional artistic experiences, he defends the topic from accusations of elitism, and shows how more everyday experiences such as the pleasure in a soft fabric or falling leaves can become the subject of aesthetics.


The Spirit of Music

The Spirit of Music

Author: Victor L. Wooten

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2021-02-02

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 0593081676

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Grammy Award winner Victor Wooten's inspiring parable of the importance of music and the threats that it faces in today's world. We may not realize it as we listen to the soundtrack of our lives through tiny earbuds, but music and all that it encompasses is disappearing all around us. In this fable-like story three musicians from around the world are mysteriously summoned to Nashville, the Music City, to join together with Victor to do battle against the "Phasers," whose blinking "music-cancelling" headphones silence and destroy all musical sound. Only by coming together, connecting, and making the joyful sounds of immediate, "live" music can the world be restored to the power and spirit of music. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL


Clarity & Connection

Clarity & Connection

Author: Yung Pueblo

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Published: 2021-04-27

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1524869864

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the celebrated author of Inward comes the second in series, a collection of poetry and short prose focused on understanding how past wounds impact our present relationships. In Clarity & Connection, Yung Pueblo describes how intense emotions accumulate in our subconscious and condition us to act and react in certain ways. In his characteristically spare, poetic style, he guides readers through the excavation and release of the past that is required for growth. To be read on its own or as a complement to Inward, Yung Pueblo’s second work is a powerful resource for those invested in the work of personal transformation, building self-awareness, and deepening their connection with others.


Philosophy of Western Music

Philosophy of Western Music

Author: Andrew Kania

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-04-08

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 1351810235

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This is the first comprehensive book-length introduction to the philosophy of Western music that fully integrates consideration of popular music and hybrid musical forms, especially song. Its author, Andrew Kania, begins by asking whether Bob Dylan should even have been eligible for the Nobel Prize in Literature, given that he is a musician. This motivates a discussion of music as an artistic medium, and what philosophy has to contribute to our thinking about music. Chapters 2-5 investigate the most commonly defended sources of musical value: its emotional power, its form, and specifically musical features (such as pitch, rhythm, and harmony). In chapters 6-9, Kania explores issues arising from different musical practices, particularly work-performance (with a focus on classical music), improvisation (with a focus on jazz), and recording (with a focus on rock and pop). Chapter 10 examines the intersection of music and morality. The book ends with a consideration of what, ultimately, music is. Key Features Uses popular-song examples throughout, but also discusses a range of musical traditions (notably, rock, pop, classical, and jazz) Explains both philosophical and musical terms when they are first introduced Provides publicly accessible Spotify playlists of the musical examples discussed in the book Each chapter begins with an overview and ends with questions for testing comprehension and stimulating further thought, along with suggestions for further reading