In
Homeland and Philosophy
, 23 philosophers tackle the issues that Showtime's award-winning show
Homeland
asks us to consider. The drama, which centers on Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody's release from an al-Qaeda prison, and CIA Agent Carrie Mathison's distrust of his intentions, asks questions of identity, what it means to be a terrorist, the conditions and effects of brainwashing, lying for the greater good, and whether or not courage is a virtue.
But these questions are only a few among many that are explored in the obscure, paranoid world of
. Through the lenses of Rawls, Kant, Arendt, Foucault, Heidegger, Sartre, and Kierkegaard, among others,
considers the ethics of drone warfare; whether or not Carrie Mathison's personality changes and psychological disorder make her an interesting character study in the metaphysics of personhood; at what point privacy is only an illusion; and concepts of torture, punishment, and discipline.