Hannibal Lecter and Philosophy

Hannibal Lecter and Philosophy
ISBN: 9780812699043
Publication Date: 28 January 2016

Hannibal Lecter , the subject of best-selling novels, movies, and the acclaimed TV series Hannibal, is one of pop culture's most compelling characters. In Hannibal Lecter and Philosophy, 16 philosophers come at Hannibal the way he comes at his victims - from unexpected angles and with plenty of surprises.

Several chapters look at the mind of this proud and accomplished killer, psychiatrist, and gourmet cook. Is he a sociopath or a psychopath, or are these the same? Is he lacking in empathy? Does his moral blindness give him compensating abilities, the way literally blind people gain heightened senses? Does it harm us that we are drawn into Hannibal's world by identifying with him?

About the Author

Joseph Westfall is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Houston, Downtown, and the author of The Kierkegaardian Author. He lives in Houston.