Shani Cipro answers “Why did they choose to change the title...”

Michael asked this question about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1):

Why did they choose to change the title for the U.S.?

Shani Cipro I'd say it's much more about the US-Centric way Americans are taught. Most of the people giving you an explanation have completely negated the fact th…moreI'd say it's much more about the US-Centric way Americans are taught. Most of the people giving you an explanation have completely negated the fact that the Philosopher's Stone as a myth has existed for centuries and that Flamel was a real man born in the medieval times. He actually studied alchemy (which was greatly linked to philosophy at the time). It was a silly change... not because American children are too stupid to look in a dictionary. I mean, it's not like us British children are born with the innate knowledge of what the word "philosopher" means. It was changed because they didn't think the title would sell as well.

I'd like to repeat: there is no difference in the definition of the word "philosopher" in the UK. It does mean a scholar of philosophy here as well. It meant that when the name of the stone was concocted... CENTURIES AGO. The only change is that the school of philosophy has shifted in its goals. "Science" used to cover philosophy, too, at one point. Alchemy and philosophy were two sides of the same coin then, and many a scholar dedicated their lives to the discovery of the philosophy of changing metal to gold.

Rowling herself said she regrets the decision to allow the change - that she was young and felt intimidated by publishing companies. She seems to have a lot more faith in the intelligence of Americans than a lot of the people who answered this. It's not like we're mystics in the UK who go around associating philosophy with magic still.

Why do I think it's US-centric? Purely the fact that so many people seem to think that Rowling invented the term because not many Americans have been exposed to as much European history as Europeans are exposed to American history. The fact that people trying to explain this didn't even know that it was a European myth shows that no one did their research.(less)

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

by J.K. Rowling

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