What would Scooby Doo?

I must credit my roommate for this week’s blog inspiration. I was on the edge of frustration in attempting to form a focus for this response, when my roommate asked me (more so to provide me with relief via humor), “What would Scooby Do?” A childhood favorite—and undying obsession—Scooby Doo has once again come to my rescue, this time solving the mystery of rhetoric. So here’s an attempt to relate a classic cartoon to a classic work, that of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.

According to Aristotle, we learn intellectual virtues through instruction. Our souls are divided into two parts, the rational part and the irrational part, and it should “be assumed that the states by virtue of which the soul possesses truth by way of affirmation or denial are five in number, i.e., art, scientific knowledge, practical wisdom, philosophic wisdom, intuitive reason” (1139bII). It is this philosophic wisdom that I’d like to touch on in relationship to Scooby Doo.

Scooby Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang solve mysteries all throughout Coolsville. Fred is the leader; Velma, the smart one; and, Daphne, the pretty one (often the damsel in distress). Norville (Shaggy) and Scooby Doo provide the dumb-and-dumber type personality and yet somehow manage to help solve the mystery and catch the villain just in the nick of time! According to the text, wisdom is a combination of scientific knowledge and intuition. This combination (along with understanding) allows us to find the highest truth of all. I know it’s a little silly to relate something as prestigious as Aristotle’s work to a children’s television series; however, I think there is a relationship worth mentioning.

In each episode, Velma makes insightful comments regarding the truth of the situation. For example, she often reminds the gang that, “There are no such things as monsters,” and then she proceeds to give the scientific explanation as to how they cannot exist (it’s usually preceded by the exclaimed, “Jinkies!”). When she comes across a puzzling lab result, she is the first to use science and knowledge as means to gather the truth. From her comments, Fred devises a sound, concrete plan to capture the villain in disguise (hopefully before Daphne gets caught up in a mess). The gang finds clues along the way, following their intuitions regarding whom the villain and what its masterful plan might be. It is the combination of these, and the teamwork, that allows the gang to unmask the bad guy, find the highest truth, and restore the faith of Coolsville citizens.

Just in case this example isn’t sound enough, I’ve prepared a backup example, too. A similar pattern of investigating for clues from intuition while using pre-established scientific knowledge to navigate the mystery is seen in both National Treasure and in The Da Vinci Code. In both of these films, the main characters are in search of the truth. They use the scientific knowledge found in historical documents to formulate intuitive theories that prompt their quest. The characters then journey forth with these combined states and arrive at the highest truth of all.

Sources:

Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Trans. David Ross. New York: Oxford UP, 1998.