The Office and Philosophy Scenes from the Unexamined Life [Paperback]

Just when you thought paper couldn't be more exciting, this book comes your way! This book--jammed full of paper--unites philosophy with one of the best shows ever: The Office. Addressing both the current American incarnation and the original British version, The Office and Philosophy brings these two wonders of civilization together for a frolic through the mundane yet curiously edifying worlds of Scranton's Dunder-Mifflin and Slough's Wernham-Hogg.


Is Michael Scott in denial about death? Are Pam and Jim ever going to figure things out? Is David Brent an essentialist? Surprisingly, The Office can teach us about the mind, Aristotle, and humiliation. Even more surprisingly, paper companies can allow us to better understand business ethics. Don't believe it? Open this book, and behold its beautiful paper...


Join the philosophical fray as we explore the abstract world of philosophy through concrete scenes of the unexamined life in The Office. You may discover that Gareth Keenan is secretly a brilliant logician, that Dwight Schrute is better off deceiving himself, that David Brent is an example of hyperreality, and that Michael Scott is hopelessly lost (but you probably already knew that!).Introduction.

A note to our Suppliers in the US and the UK: Support Philosophy - it uses lots of paper….

A Note to Bitter Brits and Confused Americans….

The Dundies: Some Awards for Making this Book Possible.

Memo 1: Paper Thin Morality.

1. Screws and Nails: Paper Tigers and Moral Monsters in The Office (US): J. Jeremy Wisnewski (Hartwick College).

2. Flirting in The Office: What Can Jim and Pam’s Romantic Antics Teach Us about Moral Philosophy? (US): Mark D. White (College of Staten Island).

3. Can Michael Ever Learn?: Empathy and the Self-lƒ)