Black Panther and Philosophy

Should Wakanda rule the world? Did Killmonger have a point? Do Wakanda's Black Lives Matter? Does hiding in the shadows make Wakanda guilty? What does Wakanda have to offer the world? Directed by Ryan Coogler and starring the late Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan, 2018's Black Panther took the ruler and protector of Wakanda from the comic book to the movie screen. Earning seven Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and winning three awards, Black Panther's nearly all-black cast (which included Oscar winners Lupita Nyong'o and Forest Whitaker, and Oscar nominated actress Angela Bassett) offered audiences the most socially and culturally significant film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther and Philosophy explores the characters and world of the Black Panther film and comics through the lenses of philosophy. Original essays on morality, justice, feminism, metaphysics, epistemology, existentialism, and Afrofuturism, tackle issues such as colonialism and chattel slavery, Black Lives Matter and the Black Panther Party, and intersectionality. With timely critical analysis, the authors not only illuminate Black Panther and Wakanda, but also help us navigate our interconnected world. As T'Challa says, "this never gets old." So, if you want to return to Wakanda, fight alongside Okoye and the Dora Milaje, help Shuri test out the latest panther suit in her lab, or maybe you think Killmonger was more of a victim than a villain, then Black Panther and Philosophy will engage you while not only showing what Wakanda can offer the world, but also what Wakanda can teach us about humanity's future.