The Philosophy of Taylor Swift

Abstract

Taylor Swift is a mastermind. Everything she writes is intentional, including the literary references and proper names in her lyrics, and the Easter eggs for fans in her liner notes. Every album has a cohesive moral and aesthetic vision. Every Swiftie knows that Swift’s lyrics repay close reading, decoding, tracking down references, and a bit of detective work. They gather online and try to discern the line between irony and sincerity. Swifties seek out esoteric meanings and intertextual connections. They stay up late and Taylor-gate, talking about the meaning of their favorite songs, and eventually, talking about the meaning of life. Taylor taught her fans to read like philosophers; or maybe, she reveals that they were philosophers all along.

The Philosophy of Taylor Swift is a collection of 22 chapters that use philosophical analysis to better understand Swifts’ songwriting. For philosophers, this volume is a methodologically innovative collection of chapters that brings together scholars from all parts of the discipline—ethics, political philosophy, the philosophy of religion, epistemology, and the philosophy of science. The chapters explore the philosophical ideas and aesthetic choices that shape Swift’s catalogue, putting her work in conversation with both historical and contemporary philosophical texts. For Swifties, this volume will inspire at least three hundred conversations over takeout coffees and a lifetime of dreaming instead of sleeping.