Minnesota University Teaches Philosophy Through Harry Potter

ST. CLOUD (AP)  A Minnesota university is mixing the world of Harry Potter into philosophy teachings.

St. Cloud State University professor Carolyn Hartz is applying Aristotle's work on friendship to character relationships in J.K. Rowling's books about boy wizard Harry Potter.

The class discusses ethics, logic, love, the human soul and nature while examining the stories.

Miles Nelson is a second-year student who took the Harry Potter course last spring. He says Rowling's stories provide understandable examples of philosophy concepts that can be difficult to comprehend.

He says the class also showed the depth in Rowling's work that many people may not have realized if they read the books when they were children.

Nelson says he was inspired to minor in philosophy after taking the class.