Mad Men

For seven seasons, AMC's Mad Men captivated audiences with the story of Don Draper, an advertising executive whose personal and professional successes and failures took viewers on a roller coaster ride through America's tumultuous 1960s. More than just a television show about one of advertising's "bad boys," the series investigates the principles of the American regime, exploring whether or not the American Dream is a sustainable vision of human flourishing and happiness. This collection of essays investigates the show's engagement with the philosophic and political foundations of American democracy.

Chapter 1: Mad Men and the End of History
Chapter 2: Don Draper's Life, His Liberty, and His Need for Happiness
Chapter 3: Mad Men's Selective Nostalgia and Uncertain Progress
Chapter 4: Mastering the Infinite: Mad Men's Poetic Modernity
Chapter 5: "Just Like a Man Does": Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Autonomy in Mad Men
Chapter 6: Mad Men's Tell-Tale Heart of Racism
Chapter 7: Dante and Don Draper Share a Coke
Chapter 8: Between Past and Future: Promises and Forgiveness in Mad Men