Psych and Philosophy: Some Dark Juju-Magumbo

Popular Culture and Philosophy #75

by Robert Arp (Editor), Christopher Scott Sevier (Contributor)

“I’m getting something,” says Shawn, assuming a look of intense concentration and pressing his fingertips to the sides of his head. Shawn Spencer uses lies, pretense, and distraction to get at the truth. But can pseudoscience and fakery really be so helpful? And if they can be, is it ethical to employ them?
Psych and Philosophy takes an entertaining tour through the philosophical issues raised by a fake psychic. Can faulty logic get to the truth quicker than good logic? Are other people to blame for Shawn’s deceptions, because they’re more ready to credit him with supernatural powers than with superior natural powers? Is instinct more important than smart thinking—in police work and in life? Is it ethical to tell lies to promote the truth (and protect the public from criminals)?
Almost every episode of Psych revolves around a grisly death, treated humorously by the repartee between Shawn and Gus. The show has much to tell us about human ways of coping with death, as well as about the problem of justified knowledge, the ethics of law enforcement, and the interaction of love, friendship, loyalty, and professionalism.

Genres: Philosophy

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2013

About the author

Robert Arp, Ph.D. (Saint Louis University, 2005), has taught Philosophy at Southwest Minnesota State University, Florida State University, and many schools in Missouri, before doing postdoctoral research in ontology through the National Center for Biomedical Ontology with Mark Musen and Barry Smith at the University at Buffalo.

Reviews

[elle buss · Rating 4 out of 5]

as possibly the biggest psych fan to grace the planet, i HAD to read this, and it was FASCINATING. it took such a deep dive into the motivations and feelings of the characters and explaining the philosophy behind it all. my only problems were that it got a little off-topic at times and since it was written by multiple authors, a lot of the information was repeated (seriously, i think i was retold the premise of the pilot at least twelve times.) but i would recommend this to any hardcore psych fans!!!

[Skyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating and exhilarating combination of humor and wit on par with Shawn and Gus's antics in every episode of Psych as well as mind-bending and enlightening philosophical discussions. If you like Psych, or if you enjoy philosophy in general, then you will both love and be astounded by this book.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book...not because I wrote a chapter in it (Chapter 2: "What's the Story"), but because it provides unique insights into some of the more fascinating subjects within philosophy through the context of an amazing TV show.