Table Of ContentTRUE DETECTIVE
AND PHILOSOPHY
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TRUE DETECTIVE
AND PHILOSOPHY
A DEEPER KIND
OF DARKNESS
Edited by
Jacob Graham and Tom Sparrow
Thiseditionfirstpublished2018
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Names:Graham,Jacobeditor.|Sparrow,Tom,1979–editor.
Title:Truedetectiveandphilosophy:adeeperkindofdarkness/editedbyJacobGraham,
TomSparrow.
Description:Hoboken:Wiley,2018.|Series:TheBlackwellphilosophyandpopcultureseries|Includes
bibliographicalreferencesandindex.|Identifiers:LCCN2017014278(print)|LCCN2017028324
(ebook)|ISBN9781119280798(pdf)|ISBN9781119280828(epub)|ISBN9781119280781(pbk.)
Subjects:LCSH:Truedetective(Televisionprogram)
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Introduction:WelcometothePsychosphere ix
JacobGrahamandTomSparrow
PartI “It’sAllOneGhetto,Man…aGiantGutterin
OuterSpace”:PessimismandAnti-natalism 1
1 WhyLifeRatherthanDeath?AnswersfromRustinCohle
andArthurSchopenhauer 3
SandraShapshay
2 GroundingCarcosa:CosmicHorrorandPhilosophical
PessimisminTrueDetective 11
ChristopherMountenay
3 HartandCohle:TheHopefulPessimismofTrueDetective 22
JoshuaFoaDienstag
4 LovingRust’sPessimism:RationalismandEmotionin
TrueDetective 31
RickElmore
5 Rust’sAnti-natalism:TheMoralImperativeto“OptOut
ofaRawDeal” 42
ChrisByron
v
vi CONTENTS
PartII “WeGettheWorldWeDeserve”:Cruelty,
Violence,Evil,andJustice 53
6 WhereIstheCrueltyinTrueDetective? 55
G.RandolphMayes
7 Nevermind:SubjectiveandObjectiveViolenceinVinci 65
LukeHowie
8 Naturalism,Evil,andtheMoralMonster:TheEvilPerson
inTrueDetective 76
PeterBrianBarry
9 “ButIDoHaveaSenseofJustice”:LawandJusticeinthe
BleakWorldofVinci 87
BeauMullen
PartIII “Everybody’sNobody”:Consciousness,
Existence,andIdentity 97
10 ADreamInsideaLockedRoom:TheIllusionofSelf 99
EvanThompson
11 IAmNotWhoIUsedtoBe,ButAmIMe?Personal
IdentityandtheNarrativeofRust 108
AndrewM.Winters
12 “TheLightIsWinning” 120
SarahK.Donovan
13 TheTragicMisstep:Consciousness,FreeWill,andtheLast
Midnight 132
DanielP.Malloy
PartIV “ThisIsMyLeastFavoriteLife”:Noir,Tragedy,
andPhilosopher-Detectives 143
14 TheTragedyofTrueDetectiveSeasonTwo:LivingOur
“LeastFavoriteLives” 145
AlisonHorbury
15 TheNoirDetectiveandtheCity 158
ChuckWard
CONTENTS vii
16 CohleandOedipus:TheReturnoftheNoirHero 169
DanielTutt
PartV “TimeIsaFlatCircle”:TimeinTrueDetective 177
17 TimeIsaFlatCircle:Nietzsche’sConceptofEternal
Recurrence 179
LawrenceJ.Hatab
18 EternalRecurrenceandthePhilosophyofthe“FlatCircle” 186
PaulA.DiGeorgio
KnownAssociates 196
Index 201
Introduction
Welcome to the Psychosphere
Jacob Graham and Tom Sparrow
If you’re anything like us, you enjoy listening to Rust wax philo-
sophical as much as you like watching Marty balk at the odd shit
that comes out of Rust’s mouth. When it comes to big questions
about value, meaning, truth, and existence, these characters
couldn’t be further apart. Professionally, on the other hand, they
complementeachotherprettywell:theygetthejobdone,solvethe
case.Fortwoguysresponsibleforenforcingthelaw,however,their
moral compasses don’t always point them in the right direction.
Which is not to say that the officers in Vinci shoot any straighter.
Remember that time Velcoro kicked the crap out of Aspen Con-
roy’sfatherrightinfrontofthekid?Ofcourseyoudo.Itwaskind
of wrong, but felt kindof right, didn’tit? The cops in True Detec-
tive can be as twisted as the backroads of the Louisiana bayou
andthefreewaysofLosAngeles.They’redefinedasmuchbytheir
deceit, disloyalty, substance abuse, self-loathing, and violence as
they are their compassion, duty, and peculiar sense of justice.
As we ride along with Cohle and Hart or Bezzerides and
Velcoro, it’s impossible not to marvel at the bleak Louisiana and
California landscapes. Drenched in shadow, foretelling something
sinister,theyarepopulatedbymaskedmen,cruelandmurderous—
theworstkindsofmen.Corruption,decay,anddegradationtouch
everything. And yet, we viewers choose to linger in those desolate
landscapes,happilypursuingreal-lifemonstersinthesquadcarof
our true detectives, enthralled by the promise of some unforeseen
horror. But why do we watch? What draws us in? Do we detect
ix
x INTRODUCTION
somethingofourselvesintheseworlds?Thatshouldworryus.Do
we know who we really are? There’d be a victory in that.
We’ll leave it for you to decide where you fit in the picture or
whatmakesforatruedetective,butwe’dliketosuggestthatdetec-
tivesandphilosophershavesomethingincommon—bothseekthe
truth—andthatTrueDetectivecanteachusalotaboutphilosophy.
Unlikedetectivework,however,andfortunatelyforus,theriskof
imminentphysicalharmislowwithphilosophy.Yet,thestakesare
still high, especiallyif, as Socrates (470–399 bce) said, “the unex-
aminedlifeisnotworthliving.”Throughtheeyesofthecharacters
andthestoriesofTrueDetective,thesquadofauthorsinthisbook
pull back the curtain on some philosophical ideas more powerful
than any cultic demigod or corrupt mayor. By exposing the philo-
sophical roots and contexts of pessimism, our squad uncovers
just why Rust is so bad at parties. Examining topics such as
good and evil, tragedy, personal identity, and time, they introduce
us to philosophers such as Socrates, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche,
Lacan,andZˇizˇek.Ultimately,though,youmustbecomeyourown
detective and figure out the truth for yourself.
So,whyshouldyou,dearreader,continuebeyondthisintroduc-
tion? Because you have a debt. You owe it to yourself to do some
truthdetecting,tostepbackintotheforsakenworldofTrueDetec-
tivewhereominousshadowsgroweverdarkerandstoriesaretold
withfactsandlies.We’renotaskingyoutomakethisjourneyone
ofsilentreflection.Wewantyoutofigureoutforyourselfwhatyou
think, to give yourself the philosophical world that you deserve,
and to remove the mask from the truth that lives among us, well
disguised.
Part I
“IT’S ALL ONE GHETTO,
MAN … A GIANT GUTTER
IN OUTER SPACE”
Pessimism and Anti-natalism
