Cormac McCarthy, Philosophy and the Physics of the Damned

This book explores Cormac McCarthy’s literature (novels, plays, screenplays, philosophical essays and unpublished archive material) to uncover a distinct literary philosophy. More specifically, this study elucidates how McCarthy articulates a philosophical perspective which pivots on philosophical themes of mortality, the political, education, nihilism, materialism and language. Tracing these themes from the publication of his earliest novels to his most recent philosophical essays, this book argues that McCarthy offers a unique synthesis of spiritual, ethical and materialist concerns, the understanding of which is essential for coming to terms with his literature.