How I Met Your Mother and Philosophy

How I Met Your Mother
and Philosophy

Popular Culture and Philosophy®
Series Editor: George A. Reisch

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OLUME
1
Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing
(2000)

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OLUME
2
The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer
(2001)

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OLUME
3
The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real
(2002)

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OLUME
4
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale
(2003)

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OLUME
5
The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All
(2003)

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OLUME
9
Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts
(2004)

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OLUME
12
Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine
(2005)

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OLUME
13
Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way
(2005)

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OLUME
19
Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge Nudge, Think Think!
(2006)

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OLUME
25
The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You Can Think that Can't Be Thunk
(2006)

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OLUME
26
South Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating
(2007)

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OLUME
30
Pink Floyd and Philosophy: Careful with that Axiom, Eugene!
(2007)

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OLUME
33
Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Mission Accomplished or Mission Frakked Up?
(2008)

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OLUME
35
Star Trek and Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant
(2008)

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OLUME
36
The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy: I Link Therefore I Am
(2008)

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OLUME
38
Radiohead and Philosophy: Fitter Happier More Deductive
(2009)

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OLUME
39
Jimmy Buffett and Philosophy: The Porpoise Driven Life
(2009) Edited by Erin McKenna and Scott L. Pratt

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OLUME
41
Stephen Colbert and Philosophy: I Am Philosophy (And So Can You!)
(2009) Edited by Aaron Allen Schiller

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OLUME
42
Supervillains and Philosophy: Sometimes, Evil Is Its Own Reward
(2009) Edited by Ben Dyer

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OLUME
43
The Golden Compass and Philosophy: God Bites the Dust
(2009) Edited by Richard Greene and Rachel Robison

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OLUME
44
Led Zeppelin and Philosophy: All Will Be Revealed
(2009) Edited by Scott Calef

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OLUME
45
World of Warcraft and Philosophy: Wrath of the Philosopher King
(2009) Edited by Luke Cuddy and John Nordlinger

Volume 46
Mr. Monk and Philosophy: The Curious Case of the Defective Detective
(2010) Edited by D.E. Wittkower

Volume 47
Anime and Philosophy: Wide Eyed Wonder
(2010) Edited by Josef Steiff and Tristan D. Tamplin

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OLUME
48
The Red Sox and Philosophy: Green Monster Meditations
(2010) Edited by Michael Macomber

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OLUME
49
Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy
:
New Life for the Undead
(2010) Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad

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OLUME
50
Facebook and Philosophy: What's on Your Mind?
(2010) Edited by D.E. Wittkower

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OLUME
51
Soccer and Philosophy: Beautiful Thoughts on the Beautiful Game
(2010) Edited by Ted Richards

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OLUME
52
Manga and Philosophy: Fullmetal Metaphysician
(2010) Edited by Josef Steiff and Adam Barkman

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OLUME
53
Martial Arts and Philosophy: Beating and Nothingness
(2010) Edited by Graham Priest and Damon Young

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OLUME
54
The Onion and Philosophy: Fake News Story True, Alleges Indignant Area Professor
(2010) Edited by Sharon M. Kaye

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OLUME
55
Doctor Who and Philosophy: Bigger on the Inside
(2010) Edited by Courtland Lewis and Paula Smithka

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OLUME
56
Dune and Philosophy: Weirding Way of the Mentat
(2011) Edited by Jeffery Nicholas

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OLUME
57
Rush and Philosophy: Heart and Mind United
(2011) Edited by Jim Berti and Durrell Bowman

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OLUME
58
Dexter and Philosophy: Mind over Spatter
(2011) Edited by Richard Greene, George A. Reisch, and Rachel Robison-Greene

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OLUME
59
Halo and Philosophy: Intellect Evolved
(2011) Edited by Luke Cuddy

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OLUME
60
SpongeBob SquarePants and Philosophy: Soaking Up Secrets Under the Sea!
(2011) Edited by Joseph J. Foy

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OLUME
61
Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy: The Footprints of a Gigantic Mind
(2011) Edited by Josef Steiff

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OLUME
62
Inception and Philosophy: Ideas to Die For
(2011) Edited by Thorsten Botz-Bornstein

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OLUME
63
Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits?
(2011) Edited by D.E. Wittkower

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OLUME
64
The Rolling Stones and Philosophy: It's Just a Thought Away
(2012) Edited by Luke Dick and George A. Reisch

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OLUME
65
Chuck Klosterman and Philosophy: The Real and the Cereal
(2012) Edited by Seth Vannatta

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OLUME
66
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy: Gods Gone Wild!
(2012) Edited by Tracy L. Bealer, Rachel Luria, and Wayne Yuen

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OLUME
67
Breaking Bad and Philosophy: Badder Living through Chemistry
(2012) Edited by David R. Koepsell and Robert Arp

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OLUME
68
The Walking Dead and Philosophy: Zombie Apocalypse Now
(2012) Edited by Wayne Yuen

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OLUME
69
Curb Your Enthusiasm and Philosophy: Awaken the Social Assassin Within
(2012) Edited by Mark Ralkowski

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OLUME
70
Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy: Raiding the Temple of Wisdom
(2012) Edited by Jon Cogburn and Mark Silcox

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OLUME
71
The Catcher in the Rye and Philosophy: A Book for Bastards, Morons, and Madmen
(2012) Edited by Keith Dromm and Heather Salter

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OLUME
72
Jeopardy! and Philosophy: What Is Knowledge in the Form of a Question?
(2012) Edited by Shaun P. Young

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OLUME
73
The Wire and Philosophy: This America, Man
(2013) Edited by David Bzdak, Joanna Crosby, and Seth Vannatta

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OLUME
74
Planet of the Apes and Philosophy: Great Apes Think Alike
(2013) Edited by John Huss

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OLUME
75
Psych and Philosophy: Some Dark Juju-Magumbo
(2013) Edited by Robert Arp

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OLUME
76
The Good Wife and Philosophy: Temptations of Saint Alicia
(2013) Edited by Kimberly Baltzer-Jaray and Robert Arp

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OLUME
77
Boardwalk Empire and Philosophy: Bootleg This Book
(2013) Edited by Richard Greene and Rachel Robison-Greene

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OLUME
78
Futurama and Philosophy: Bite My Shiny Metal Axiom
(2013) Edited by Courtland Lewis and Shaun P. Young

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OLUME
79
Frankenstein and Philosophy: The Shocking Truth
(2013) Edited by Nicolas Michaud

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OLUME
80
Ender's Game and Philosophy: Genocide Is Child's Play
(2013) Edited by D.E. Wittkower and Lucinda Rush

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OLUME
81
How I Met Your Mother and Philosophy: Being and Awesomeness
(2014) Edited by Lorenzo von Matterhorn

I
N
P
REPARATION
:

Jurassic Park and Philosophy: The Truth Is Terrifying
(2014) Edited by Nicolas Michaud

The Devil and Philosophy
(2014) Edited by Robert Arp

Justified and Philosophy
(2014) Edited by Rod Carveth

Leonard Cohen and Philosophy
(2014) Edited by Jason Holt

Homeland and Philosophy
(2014) Edited by Robert Arp

Girls and Philosophy
(2014) Edited by Richard Greene and Rachel Robison-Greene

For full details of all Popular Culture and Philosophy® books, visit
www.opencourtbooks.com
.

Volume 81 in the series, Popular Culture and Philosophy
®, edited by George A. Reisch

To order books from Open Court, call toll-free 1-800-815-2280, or visit our website at
www.opencourtbooks.com
.

Open Court Publishing Company is a division of Carus Publishing Company, dba ePals Media.

Copyright © 2014 by Carus Publishing Company, dba ePals Media

First printing 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, Open Court Publishing Company, 70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, Illinois 60601.

ISBN: 978-0-8126-9845-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013948987

Contents

I
  
Challenge Accepted

  
1.
  
Why on Earth Do We Love Barney?

       
B
ENCE
N
ANAY

  
2.
  
You Too Can Awesomize Yourself

       
K
RIS
G
OFFIN

  
3.
  
Me! Me! Me!

       
T
HOMAS
A
INSWORTH

  
4.
  
The Most Amazing, Strong, Independent Woman Barney Has Ever Banged

       
A
MANDA
Y
PMA