Ted Lasso and Philosophy - (Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture) by Marybeth Baggett & David Baggett & William Irwin (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

An accessible and engaging journey through the philosophical themes and concepts of Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso and Philosophy explores the hidden depths beneath the vibrant veneer of AppleTV's breakout, award-winning sitcom. Blending philosophical sophistication with winsome appreciation of this feel-good comedy, the collection features 20 original essays canvassing the breadth of the series and carefully considering the ideas it presents, including the goal of competition, the role of mental health, sportsmanship, revenge versus justice, the importance of friendship, the imperative of respect for persons, humility, leadership, identity, character growth, courage, journalistic ethics, belief, forgiveness, what love looks like, and just how evil tea is. In a nod to the show's many literary allusions, the compilation concludes with a whimsical appendix that catalogs the books most significant to Ted Lasso's themes and characters. If football is life, as Dani Rojas fondly repeats, then this book's a fitting primer.

• Covers the full breadth of the original Ted Lasso series, including the third season
• Explores every major character and all of the show's significant subplots and elements
• Written in the spirit of the show, with in-jokes that will appeal to Ted Lasso fans
• Features an introduction that guides readers through the book's materials
• Includes Beard's Bookshelf, a bibliography of the most significant books shown or alluded to in the series

Ted Lasso and Philosophy is for the curious, not judgmental. Sport is quite the metaphor, and we can't wait to unpack it with you.

From the Back Cover

Will the Richmond Greyhounds become the best versions of themselves?Why is The Fountainhead Ted's favorite book?

Does hope really kill you?

What does potential smell like?

Is doing the right thing ever the wrong thing?

Does Nate deserve a headbutt or a second chance?

Ted Lasso follows the amiable and relentlessly optimistic Coach Lasso on a quest to rebuild a Premier League London soccer club and lead them to victory. Just one catch: Ted knows next to nothing about the game, having so far coached only American football, and only at the amateur level. He's not what Richmond fans or players want, but he's exactly what they need, opening their eyes to the nature of success, the power of belief, the value of friendship, the importance of self-care, the beauty of forgiveness, and much more. What results is an underdog story for the ages, where a motley crew of quirky and loveable characters form an unlikely community and prove that if you got a little love in your heart, there ain't nothing you can't get through together.

Ted Lasso and Philosophy explores the hidden depths beneath the vibrant veneer of the award-winning Apple TV+ sitcom. Blending philosophical sophistication with winsome appreciation of the feel-good comedy, this collection features 20 original essays canvassing the breadth of the series and taking seriously the ideas it presents, including the goal of competition, the role of mental health, sportsmanship, revenge versus justice, the importance of friendship, the imperative of respect for persons, what love looks like, and just how evil tea is. In a nod to the show's many literary allusions, the compilation concludes with a whimsical appendix that catalogs the books most significant to Ted Lasso's themes and characters.

If football is life, as Dani Rojas fondly repeats, then this book is a fitting primer. Ted Lasso and Philosophy is for the curious, not judgmental. Sport is quite the metaphor, and we can't wait to unpack it with you.

About the Author

MARYBETH BAGGETT is Professor of English at Houston Christian University. She is co-author of Telling Tales: Intimations of the Sacred in Popular Culture and The Morals of the Story: Good News about a Good God, which won Christianity Today's 2019 Award of Merit for Apologetics and Evangelism.

DAVID BAGGETT is Professor of Philosophy at Houston Christian University and Director of the Center for the Foundations of Ethics. He's the author or editor of fifteen books, including a tetralogy on the moral argument for God's existence.