Giving Wands Their Due: Harry Potter, Speculative Realism, and the Power of Objects
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Ian McLaughlin (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: Magical objects are legion in Harry Potter. Among them, wands are the most magical and the mosttaken for granted. Wands are usually seen as tools, but no tool is only a tool. Speculative Realismsprovide the means to look past the mere usefulness of wands and explore their nature via a flattenedontology. Recognizing that wands are not passive screens but ontologically equal to all otherobjects, including humans, bypasses the problems of Kantian epistemology and gives wands roomto be what they are qua themselves. Focusing on ontology rather than epistemology enables wandsto reveal their power, supplies a framework for studying the natures of nonfictional objects, and – ironically – allows for a more categorical application of Kant’s ethical imperative.
Giving Wands Their Due: Harry Potter, Speculative Realism, and the Power of Objects
PDF (Portable Document Format)
446 KB
Created on 1/2/2024
Views: 36
Additional Information
- Publication
- Fafnir – Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research, 10(2)
- Language: English
- Date: 2023
- Keywords
- Harry Potter, wands, speculative realism (sr), flat ontology, object-oriented
ontology (OOO), vital materialism