Black Sabbath and Philosophy

William Irwin is professor of philosophy at King’s College in Pennsylvania. Irwin originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books with Seinfeld and Philosophy in 1999. Irwin has also co-edited The Simpsons and Philosophy and edited The Matrix and Philosophy and Metallica and Philosophy. He is currently the General Editor of The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series.

“This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, shedding a lot of light on the members, music, and society with regards to everything from religion to family.”  (Sacramento Book Review, 1 June 2013)“This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, shedding a lot of light on the members, music, and society with regards to everything from religion to family.”  (City Book Review, 1 March 2013)“Black Sabbath & Philosophy is a wholly absorbing read large . . . A long-overdue work, and a rewarding one both for fans and those curious about the philosophical gravity behind all those murky riffs.”  (PopMatters, 11 January 2013)“Much like Black Sabbath themselves, this wide-ranging, amusing book entertains and makes your brain ache in equal measure.”  (Record Collector, 1 December 2012)“A book to dip into, that will get you thinking and almost certainly have you going back and listening to your old Black Sabbath albums in a different light. Highly recommended.”  (Get Ready to Rock, 20  November 2012)

• Introduction: “What Is This That Stands Before Me?” xAcknowledgments: They Sold Their Souls for Rock ‘n’ Roll xiiPart I Necessary Evil 11 Beyond Good and Evil: Facing Your Demons With Black Sabbath and Existentialism 3William Irwin2 Masters of a Better Possible Reality: Conquering Evil With Love 12Liz Stillwaggon Swan3 “Is It the End, My Friend?” Black Sabbath’s Apocalypse of Horror 20Brian FroesePart II Playing Devil’s Advocate 314 Black Sabbath and the Sound of Evil 33Joel McIver5 The Worst of All Possible Worlds: Schopenhauer Meets Sabbath 41James Heathers6 Tony Iommi’s Hand of Doom: From Plastic Fingertips to Creative Freedom 51Ken PepperPart III The Dark Art of Metal 617 The Art of Black Sabbath: Aristotle Joins the Band 63Greg Littmann8 Black Sabbath and the Problem of Defining Metal 76Søren R. Frimodt-Møller9 Saint Vitus Dance: The Art of Doom 87Manuel Bremer and Daniel Cohnitz10 Gods, Drugs, and Ghosts: Finding Dionysus and Apollo in Black Sabbath and the Birth of Heavy Metal 96Dennis KneppPart IV Is It Still Sabbath Without Ozzy? 11111 It’s Not Sabbath Unless Ozzy’s the Singer (But It’s Fine If You Disagree) 113James Bondarchuk12 Fightin’ Words: Sabbath Doesn ’ t Need the Ozzman 126Wesley D. Cray13 The Name Remains the Same—But Should It? 140Mark D. WhitePart V Symptoms of The Universe 14914 Wicked World: The Politics of the Supernatural in Black Sabbath 151Erich Christiansen15 “Demons, Dreamers, and Madmen”: Is Ozzy Going Insane? 163Kevin McCain16 “As the War Machine Keeps Turning”: Just War Theory, Pacifism, and the War on Terror 171Jacob M. Held17 Stop Stereotyping Sabbath: Sex, Subjugation, and Stupidity 182Robert ArpContributors: Children of the Grave 190Index: The Writ 195