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List Price: $17.95 | | Publisher: Open Court
Salesrank: 117484
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
The most popular musical group of all time, the Beatles also brought serious thought to the bubble gum-scented world of pop and rock music, with adventurous, profound, and sometimes mysterious lyrics that veered from the deliberate absurdity of “I Am the Walrus” to the rosy Rousseau-like fantasy of “When I’m 64” to the darkly existential/nihilist visions of “Eleanor Rigby” and “A Day in the Life.” In this lively new book, 20 Beatles-loving philosophers offer fresh insight into the lives and words of the Fab Four. Among the topics investigated are the groups’ critique of consumer culture; John Lennon and the Cold War; Paul McCartney’s philosophy of love, community, and politics; the Beatles’ struggle against the inauthentic; the ethics of chemically changed states of consciousness; the metaphysical standing of popularized Eastern meditation; and skepticism in the Beatles’ worldview. Like earlier titles in this popular series, The Beatles and Philosophy discusses complex issues in an enjoyable, highly readable fashion.
The Beatles and Philosophy (Popular Culture and Philosophy) Reviews:
Intro to Philosophy using Beatles songs as guidance 
2009-09-01 - I originally gave this 2 stars -- It's probably 3. I reconsidered after I realized some of my dislikes were based on it being one author, but it's actually a compilation of authors -- so some of the more annoying factors (such as frequent reference to "Nowhere Man") aren't as distracting as I originally thought. Some songs are used multiple times by different writers to make different philosophical points.
It's insightful as an introduction to classic philosophy topics using Beatles lyrics as a starting point, so it may be of interest to readers who know Fab Four songs quite well and want to get a foothold on common philo-concepts.
The best sections focus on philosophical themes that aren't tied so closely to specific lyrics or the "meaning" of songs.
Another Philosophy book
2009-05-18 - I picked up this book hoping to learn more about the background lives of the Beatles, what could've influenced their songwriting, and philosophy in a sense that meant: how did their music reflect life in the sixties/ what did their songs say about life/ or what kind of messages were the Beatles trying to give, if any? What i got was a book that answered half-heartedly my questions. I didn't know much about the phlosophical ideas of Aristotle or Plato, or any Ancient Greek philosophers for that matter, so reading this book was somewhat difficult.
The connections to the Beatles seemed... on the side. They seemed a lot more like citations than real analysis. Much of the book was classic philosophical ideas followed by two or three lines from a Beatles song or a quick reference to a specific part of one of the Beatles lives that were "cited" hopefully to back up the idea.To me, the authors of this book were just using the Beatles as an excuse to talk about philosophy.
Nothing to Get Hung Up About 
2007-09-08 -
Any book about the Beatles will be enjoyable for me. I can't help but think of their music while I am reading, and that is a good thing. But I did think the philosophical insights, while often on point, were extremely forced. The writers were often forcing Beatles lyrics into their prose as if that would make their philosophical case.
To be honest, much of the philosophy went over my head. I think one would need to be, not just a Beatles junkie (like me) but have been formally trained in philosophy (not like me) to get much out of this book.
If you're looking to read about the Beatles, go to A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatlesby Mark Hertsgaard, which is an astonishing analysis of their work. It's also a far superior book to the recent Beatles biography.
Far more involving insights than the usual dry philosophy tome. 
2007-02-03 - The Beatles made their musical impact partially because they quickly moved from teen love songs to reflecting the questioning and philosophy of their generation: thus The Beatles and Philosophy is an especially significant, important recommendation for both music history collections and high school to college-level philosophy libraries. It uses the insights of some twenty professional philosophers to analyze the ideas and implications of Beatles lyrics, connections these ideas to both traditional and modern forms of philosophical thought, and thus provides students with far more involving insights than the usual dry philosophy tome.
Beatle Musings
2006-12-03 - This wonderful book makes me think of the 1965 George Harrison classic, "Think For Yourself." It is a nice blending of Beatle music and the Beatles' career with philosophical concepts ranging from the basic to the esoteric.
Inveterate Beatle fans will undoubtedly enjoy it. It is an interesting look at the Beatles and how philosophy interplays with their impact on culture as well as their music.
