George A. Dunn 
Veronica Mars and Philosophy [EPUB ebook] 
Investigating the Mysteries of Life (Which is a Bitch Until You Die)

Acknowledgments x
Introduction: The PI and the Philosophers 1
Part I Veronica Mars Is Rich Dude Kryptonite: Investigating Politics and the Social Order 5
1 Getting Past the Velvet Ropes: Status Anxiety in Neptune 7
William Irwin
2 ’That’s Really Criminal of You’: Why It May Be Okay for Veronica Mars to Break the Law 19
Paul Hammond
3 ’Got Any Enemies You Know About?’ … ’Well, There’s the Klan’: Race, Rancor, and Riches in Neptune, California 32
Rejena Saulsberry
Part II Veronica Mars Is a Triple Threat–Girl, Teenager, and Private Detective: Investigating the World of noir 45
4 Breaking Bad in Neptune: How ’Cool Guys’ Become Psychopaths 47
George A. Dunn
5 Noir Neptune: Genre and Gender Bending in Veronica Mars 61
Daniel Wack
6 ’Don’t Forget about Me, Veronica’: Time, Memory, and Mystery in Veronica Mars 72
Paul Hammond
Part III Veronica Mars Doesn’t Hang with the Evil and Morally Bankrupt: Investigating Vice and Virtue 81
7 ’I’m Old School, an Eye for an Eye’: Veronica and Vengeance 83
George A. Dunn
8 ’We Used to be Friends’: An Aristotelian Analysis of Veronica’s Friendships 96
Catlyn Origitano
9 Does Veronica Trust Anyone? 109
Jon Robson
Part IV Veronica Mars Is No Longer That Girl: Investigating Women in Society 123
10 Veronica’s Trip to the Dentist: Don’t Blame the Victim 125
James Rocha and Mona Rocha
11 ’Grow a Sense of Humor, You Crazy Bitch’: Veronica Mars as a Feminist Icon 136
Kasey Butcher and Megan M. Peters
12 On Not Being a Slut (Even When Everyone Thinks You Are) 147
Jordan Pascoe
Part V Veronica Mars Is Smarter Than Me: Investigating How and Why We Investigate 157
13 ’I Used to Think that Solving the Case Was the Key to Our Happiness’: The Value of Truth in Veronica Mars 159
Dereck Coatney
14 ’Have You Ever Heard of Occam’s Razor?’ Veronica’s Use of Inductive Reasoning 170
Andrew Zimmerman Jones
15 ’Not Pictured’: What Veronica Knew but Didn’t See 184
Daniel A. Wilkenfeld
Part VI Veronica Mars Is a Marshmallow: Investigating Veronica’s Quest for Identity 199
16 Veronica Mars–She’s a Marshmallow 201
James B. South
Notes on Contributors: Under Investigation 215
Index 219

George A. Dunn is a Lecturer at the University of
Indianapolis and the Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang
University, China. A writer on pop culture and philosophy, Dunn is
the co-editor of Sons of Anarchy and Philosophy (2013),
The Hunger Games and Philosophy (2012), and True Blood
and Philosophy (2010).
William Irwin (series editor) is Professor of Philosophy
at King’s College, USA. He originated the philosophy and
popular culture genre of books as co-editor of the bestselling
The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen titles
including House and Philosophy, Batman and Philosophy, and
South Park and Philosophy.