Western Philosophers Connected to SpongeBob SquarePants

  Without knowing, the cartoon show, SpongeBob SquarePants, consists of many Western philosophical ideas. In the majority of the episodes, a Western philosopher’s idea is conveyed into the main plot of the episodes in order to provide a comedic effect and to educate the audience. All these philosophical ideas are described and explained in the book, SpongeBob SquarePants and Philosophy. In this book, a few episodes are described in great detail in which the author of the book describes the episode and goes on to explain the philosophical idea and the philosopher to whom that idea belongs to. A few important philosophers chosen from the book, SpongeBob SquarePants and Philosophy are John Stuart Mill, Dante Aligheri, and Rene Descrates. Each philosopher then goes on to focus on different ideas.
     For example, in the book, SpongeBob SquarePants and Philosophy, John Stuart Mill is one of the first philosophers mentioned to have his ideas and thoughts incorporated into the cartoon show. The cartoon show adapts Utilitarianism into one of its episodes to convey happiness within different characters. To briefly explain what Utilitarianism is, it is the idea and practice that by maximizing the amount of happiness being achieved by an action makes it the morally correct action. This then leads to think of happiness as a method to maximize the amount of pleasure which causes the amount of pain to minimize.  The way that utilitarianism is conveyed in the cartoon show is through Patrick. The producers and writers of the show do this by having Patrick live a simple but fulfilling life full of happiness with minimum pain to speak of in the show. A depiction of this is especially seen when one sees Patrick spending his days jelly fishing and blowing bubbles. 
      The book also does more than describe western philosophical ideas regarding happiness. Take a look at the next philosopher, Dante Aligheri, whom discusses Virtuous Character. Four virtues that are conveyed in the show and described in the book are prudence, courage, justice and temperance. All four of these virtues basically entail how a king should hold and rule. To follow Dante’s virtues in relation to SpongeBob, we will be comparing these virtues to those of King Neptune’s and decide if he holds the virtuous character Dante thought to a king should possess.
      From happiness to possessing a virtuous character, the show, SpongeBob SquarePants, goes on to question the reality of dreams in an episode. Like both John Stuart Mill and Dante Aligheri, Rene Descartes is another important western philosopher. His ideas help SpongeBob answer the important question of “Am I Dreaming?”. But before SpongeBob has a firm grasp of his answer, he questions his reality in which he compares events from his daily life to his dreams. Thus, leading to Descartes’s Dream Argument being explained as dreams and waking life consisting of the same content. Therefore, it makes it difficult for SpongeBob to differentiate between his dreams and reality.

Quiz Questions 

1. How is Happiness defined as by a hedonistic utilitarian such as John Stuart Mill?​

2. Which pleasure does Mill think is more fulfilling? higher or lower

3. Who was Dante Aligheri?​

4. What were the four cardinal virtues?

5. Rene Descartes is known as the father of what? ​

6. What are the key ideas from the Dream Argument? ​

Discussion Questions 

1. Do you think that Patrick Star is truly happy or is living a life not fully fulfilled?

2. Which two of the four virtues that were discussed do you think are most important to see in someone with high polical power?

3. To what extent are dreams based on reality? ​