Peter S. Fosl 
The Big Lebowski and Philosophy 
Keeping Your Mind Limber with Abiding Wisdom

Celebrate the Dude with an abiding look at the philosophy behind
The Big Lebowski

Is the Dude a bowling-loving stoner or a philosophical genius
living the good life? Naturally, it’s the latter, and The Big
Lebowski and Philosophy explains why. Enlisting the help of
great thinkers like Plato and Nietzsche, the book explores the
movie’s hidden philosophical layers, cultural reflection, and
political commentary. It also answers key questions, including: The
Dude abides, but is abiding a virtue? Is the Dude an Americanized
version of the Taoist way of life? How does The Big Lebowski
illustrate the Just War Theory? How does bowling help Donny,
Walter, and the Dude oppose nihilism? Yes, the Dude is deep, and so
is this book. Don’t watch the movie–or go to Lebowski
Fest–without it.

* Explores many of The Big Lebowski’s key themes, such as
nihilism, war and politics, money and materialism, idealism and
morality, history, and more

* Gives you new perspective on the movie’s characters–the
Dude, the Big Lebowski, Walter Sobchak, Donny, Maude Lebowski,
Bunny Lebowski, and others

* Helps you appreciate the Coen Brothers classic even more with
the insights of Aristotle, Epicurus, Kant, Derrida, and other
philosophical heavyweights

Table of Content

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thanks to Some Real Achievers xi

Introduction: Sometimes There’s a Film 1

PART ONE FIRST ROUND ROBIN: TYING IT ALL TOGETHER, OR
NOT

1. What Would the Dude Do? Deconstructing the Dude 7

Joseph A. Zeccardi and Hilda H. Ma

2. The Big Lebowski and Mathematical Logic 24

Craig Jackson

PART TWO SECOND ROUND ROBIN: THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF
PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITION, OR FROM SOCRATES TO SANDY KOUFAX

3. The Dude Abides, but Does He Flourish? 39

Jason T. Eberl

4. ‘Man Down!’: Aristotle, Epicurus, and the Dude on
Friendship and Solidarity 55

Ian O’Loughlin

5. Epicurus and ‘Contented Poverty’: The Big
Lebowski as Epicurean Parable 67

Morgan Rempel

6. Buddhism, Daoism, and Dudeism 79

Joseph J. Lynch

PART THREE THIRD ROUND ROBIN: OVER THE LINE!

7. Drawing a Line in the Sand: Rules of Aggression in The Big
Lebowski 93

David Svolba and Adam Betz

8. ‘That Ain’t Legal Either’: Rules, Virtue,
and Authenticity in The Big Lebowski 106

Troy Jollimore and Robert C. Jones

PART FOUR FOURTH ROUND ROBIN: NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF

9. Bowling Our Way out of Nihilism 123

Jeffery Nicholas

10. Existentialism, Absurdity, and The Big Lebowski 136

Bryan N. Baird

11. Bowling, Despair, and American Nihilism 147

Evan Brown and Peter S. Fosl

PART FIVE FIFTH ROUND ROBIN: WHAT MAKES A DUDE?

12. The Big Lebowski’s Oedipal Complex 161

Roger Hunt

13. In the Dude, I Abide: Being an Achiever at Lebowski Fest
174

Julie Dufort and Roseline Lemire-Cadieux

14. ‘Mr. Treehorn Treats Objects Like Women, Man’:
The Dude as Feminist Ally 190

Ben Almassi

15. ‘Well, I Do Work, Sir’: The Dude and the Value
of Sloth 207

Nicolas Michaud

PART SIX SIXTH ROUND ROBIN: MARK IT ZERO!

16. ‘Am I Wrong?’: Walter’s Will to Believe
221

Daniel P. Malloy

17. ‘That’s Just Like, Uh, Your Opinion, Man’:
Jesus, the Dude, and Ordinary Language Philosophy 237

Reuben Stern and Sam Wilkinson

PART SEVEN SEVENTH ROUND ROBIN: LIVIN’ IN THE
PAST

18. Hippies, Jews, and the Philosophy of Memory 251

Clancy Smith

19. ‘I Don’t Roll on Shabbas!’: Jewish
Identity and the Meaning of History in The Big Lebowski 262

Joseph A. Edelheit

CONTRIBUTORS: The Rest of the Dude’s Bowling Team 275

INDEX: Little of This, Little of That 283

About the author

Peter S. Fosl is chair of the philosophy program at Transylvania
University. Coauthor of The Philosopher’s Toolkit, he has
contributed to Metallica and Philosophy, Ultimate Lost and
Philosophy, Terminator and Philosophy, Heroes and Philosophy, and
Twilight and Philosophy. Visit www.Peter Fosl.us for more
information.

William Irwin is a professor of philosophy at King’s College in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He originated the philosophy and
popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling The
Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles including
House and Philosophy, Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy, and
Inception and Philosophy.