[ecrea] CFA: Hamilton and Philosophy

Call for Abstracts

Hamilton and Philosophy
Co-edited by Aaron Rabinowitz and Robert Arp

Hamilton: An American Musical is a cultural phenomenon that is promoting 
interest in revolutionary history and race in America. The show is 
poised to sweep the Tony Awards and will soon have productions opening 
nationwide and internationally.


-     Submit abstracts of no more than 300 words to: 
(aarondrabi /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(aarondrabi /at/ gmail.com)>

-     Abstracts due: June 1st, 2016, but you can send them in sooner

-     Notification of accepted abstracts: July 1st, 2016

-     First draft of papers due: September 1st, 2016

-     3,000 to 3,500-word philosophy papers are written in a 
conversational style for a lay audience

-     Papers must frequently refer to ideas, arguments, characters, 
events, and circumstances in Hamilton: An American Musical or the show’s 
production or historical source material.



Any relevant topic considered, but here are some possibilities to prompt 
your thinking:



Ethics

-      “In New York you can be a new man” Existentialism and the 
American Dream

-      “I wrote my way out of hell” Bootstrapping and the hero’s journey

-      “What’s a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get 
to see” Legacy or happy experiences, which is the good life?

-      "I'm never satisfied" Is unhappiness necessary for success?

-      “Wait for it” In defense of patience, skepticism, pragmatism, etc.

-      Burr's calming yin and Hamilton's raging yang

-      “Laughing at my sister cuz she wants to form a harem” The ethics 
of open relationships, polyamory, and infidelity

-      "How lucky we are to be alive right now" Angelica and living in 
the moment

-      "That would be enough" Eliza and East/West philosophies of 
acceptance (stoicism, Taoism, Buddhism etc.)



Philosophy of History

-      Should historical fiction be accurate?

-      “A civics lesson from a slaver” Are we still ignoring the true 
history of slavery in America?

-      The problem of “founder chic”

-      Does history still belong to white men?

-      “I'm Not Throwing Away My Shot” Ego and the individual in history



Political Philosophy and Social Issues

-      What produces more progress, fighting or writing?

-      “The unrest in France will lead to anarchy" The ethics of 
revolution and nation building

-      "Where do we draw the line" interventionism vs isolationism

-      Hamilton's federalism and Hobbes's strong man theory of government

-      “Heed not the rabble” The dangers of majority rule

-      “The room where it happens” Consequentialism in politics

-      Should a society ban dueling or is that paternalistic?

-      Is the federal bank a good thing or a bad thing?

-      Is Hamilton really feminist? Chauvinist? Both?

-      “Rise up" The intersectionality of social progress

-      The omission of Hamilton’s alleged homosexuality



Epistemology

-      “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story” The reliability of 
historical narratives

-      Can fictionalizations teach us about truth?

-      How do we know the right thing to do?



Philosophy of Theater

-      “Your Obedient Servant” Representation of people of color and 
minorities in Hamilton

-      Is race specific casting moral?

-      Issues of non-traditional casting

-      Does the cost of tickets exclude audiences?

-      “What Comes Next” The future of representing minorities on Broadway



Metaphysics

-      The “contradictions of independence” and whether a man “can ever 
be truly free”

-      How the inevitability of death shapes our lives

-      Destiny, purpose, and freedom in historic times

-      “Death doesn’t discriminate” Does the universe care about us?

Submit abstracts of no more than 300 words to: (aarondrabi /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(aarondrabi /at/ gmail.com)>

Hamilton and Philosophy will be a book in Open Court Publishing 
Company’s Popular Culture and Philosophy series: 
http://www.opencourtbooks.com/categories/pcp.htm. Submit ideas for 
possible future PCP books to the series editor, George A. Reisch, at 
(pcpideas /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(pcpideas /at/ gmail.com)>.

Thanks for your consideration.

Aaron Rabinowitz
(aarondrabi /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(aarondrabi /at/ gmail.com)>



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