Superman and Philosophy E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 433

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Go beyond the cape and into the mind of the Man of Steel, in time for release of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel movie and Superman's 75th anniversary

He has thrilled millions for 75 years, with a legacy that transcends national, cultural, and generational borders, but is there more to the Man of Steel than just your average mythic superhero in a cape? The 20 chapters in this book present a fascinating exploration of some of the deeper philosophical questions raised by Superman, the Last Son of Krypton and the newest hero in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture arsenal.

Leseprobe

Contents

Introduction: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane … It’s Philosophy!

Part One: THE BIG BLUE BOY SCOUT

Chapter 1: Moral Judgment

The Trinity of Moral Philosophy

But Like Superpowers, Ethics Only Gets You So Far

Tragic Dilemma in Your Pocket (Universe)

I’m Walkin’, Yes Indeed

Superman Did What?

What Makes Superman Human

Chapter 2: Action Comics!

It’s Practically Reasonable

More Powerful Than a Locomotive

We Could Be Heroes …

Superman vs. the Calculator

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

The Virtues of Being Super

So Whom Does He Save?

Chapter 3: Can the Man of TomorrowBe the Journalist of Today?

The Face and the Voice

A Reporter’s Story

The Reporter of Steel

Superman Confidential: Seek Truth and Report It

The Big Forget: Act Independently

Wicked Business! Minimize Harm

Fatal Flaw?

Chapter 4: Could Superman Have Joined the Third Reich?

… Or Not

The Moral Education of a Superman

Superman: Son of the Third Reich

In the End, Hitler Still Loses

Part Two: TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE AMERICAN WAY

Chapter 5: Clark Kent Is Superman!

What Is the Secret?

Superman for President!

The Secret Revealed!

Opening the Shirt

Letting in Lois

In the Vault

Chapter 6: Superman and Justice

It’s All About Personal Liberty

Truth, Libertarian Justice, and the American Way

Great Rawls!

Behind the (Lead-Lined) Veil of Ignorance

Occupy Metropolis

Superman’s Greatest Foe?

Chapter 7: Is Superman an American Icon?

Is Superman Giving Up on the American Way?

My Country, Right or Wrong—But Mostly Right

Can Superman Be a Citizen of the World?

Cosmopolitanism Then and Now

The Appearance of Impropriety

Act Locally, Think Globally

Part Three: THE WILL TO SUPERPOWER

Chapter 8: Rediscovering Nietzsche’s Übermensch in Superman as a Heroic Ideal

Truth, Justice, and the Nietzschean Way

Putting the Über into the Übermensch

The Nietzschean Superman

Superman vs. Clark Kent

S Is for Savior

Kneel Before Zod!

Perhaps … Lex Luthor?

Nietzschean Übermensch, American Christ, or Both?

Chapter 9: Superman or Last Man

Survival of the Weakest

Introducing Superman—Whether We Need Him or Not

Waiting for Superman

Resignation Superman

Singer vs. Nietzsche

It Ain’t Easy Being Blue

Is He Worth It?

Chapter 10: Superman

Übermensch as Anti-Christ

Lex Luthor: Super-Man?

Jesus Without the Christ

Moral Illumination

Trinitarian Movie Mythos

Is Superman Christ or a Christ-Type?

Seduction of the Innocent?

Chapter 11: Superman Must Be Destroyed!

A Man Who Writes His Own Script

An Iconoclast

One Man Is an Island

The Anti-Hero of Faith

Existentialists Gone Wild!

Part Four: THE ULTIMATE HERO

Chapter 12: Superman’s Revelation

The Never-Ending Battle

Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World2

Kingdom Come

Superman’s Dilemma

Good Violence vs. Bad Violence

Sacred Violence

Caution: Mythology at Work

The Truth About Truth and Justice

Chapter 13: A World Without a Clark Kent?

Goodbye, Clark?

Golden Age Limits

The Humanity of Martha Kent

Jor-El’s Higher Calling

Lex Luthor, Villain or Hero?

Man and Superman

Chapter 14: The Weight of the World

Know Your Role!

Superhindsight

There’s Demanding and Then There’s Demanding

It Ain’t Right, I Tell Ya, It Ain’t Right

The Big Blue Boy Scout

Superman Meets His Match: Supererogatory!

The Weight of the World

Part Five: SUPERMAN AND HUMANITY

Chapter 15: Superman and Man

Mystery of the Bizarro World!

Strange Visitor to Earth-P!

Civilizing Earth-P

The Super-Men of Earth-O!

Humanity’s Greatest Power!

Chapter 16: Can the Man of Steel Feel Our Pain?

Growing Up a Super Boy

Men Are from Earth, Supermen Are from Krypton

Just Another Kid from Smallville

There’s Pain and Then There’s Pain

I Am Curious (Superman)

Kneel Before Zod

What the “S” Really Means

Sympathy for the Hero

Chapter 17: World’s Finest Philosophers

Batman, Hobbes, and the War of All Against All

Batman and the Sovereign

The Most Perfect Line

You Matter—To Me

Securing Recognition

Batman or Superman? Hobbes or Hegel?

Part Six: OF SUPERMAN AND SUPERMINDS

Chapter 18: “It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s … Clark Kent?”

The Question-Begger, the Greatest Villain in Philosophy

Is It My Super-Body?

Memories of You, Superman

Hole-y Personality Superman!

Would the Real Superman Please Stand Up!

So Let’s Give Lois a Break!

Chapter 19: Superman Family Resemblance

The Eternal Superman

The Challenge of the Supermen

Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Family Values

But Families Also Disagree a Lot

Having Fun With Big Blue

Chapter 20: Why Superman Should Not Be Able to Read Minds

The Mind of Superman

Great Caesar’s Ghost: The Problem of Other Minds!

Solving the Kryptonian Knot

What Are You Thinking?

Zombie Superman: Even Worse Than Bizarro

Too Close for Comfort

Luthor’s Razor

Forget It, Supes

Contributors: Trapped in the Philosophy Zone

Index: From Brainiac’s Files

The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

Series Editor: William Irwin

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and a healthy helping of popular culture clears the cobwebs from Kant. Philosophy has had a public relations problem for a few centuries now. This series aims to change that, showing that philosophy is relevant to your life—and not just for answering the big questions like “To be or not to be?” but for answering the little questions: “To watch or not to watch South Park?” Thinking deeply about TV, movies, and music doesn’t make you a “complete idiot.” In fact it might make you a philosopher, someone who believes the unexamined life is not worth living and the unexamined cartoon is not worth watching.

Already published in the series:

24 and Philosophy: The World According to JackEdited by Jennifer Hart Weed, Richard Brian Davis, and Ronald Weed

30 Rock and Philosophy: We Want to Go to ThereEdited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski

Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy: Curiouser and CuriouserEdited by Richard Brian Davis

Arrested Development and Philosophy: They’ve Made a Huge MistakeEdited by Kristopher Phillips and J. Jeremy Wisnewski

The Avengers and Philosophy: Earth’s Mightiest ThinkersEdited by Mark D. White

Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the SoulEdited by Mark D. White and Robert Arp

Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Knowledge Here Begins Out ThereEdited by Jason T. Eberl

The Big Bang Theory and Philosophy: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Aristotle, LockeEdited by Dean Kowalski

The Big Lebowski and Philosophy: Keeping Your Mind Limber with Abiding WisdomEdited by Peter S. Fosl

Black Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering RealityEdited by William Irwin

The Daily Show and Philosophy: Moments of Zen in the Art of Fake NewsEdited by Jason Holt

Downton Abbey and Philosophy: The Truth Is Neither Here Nor ThereEdited by Mark D. White

Family Guy and Philosophy: A Cure for the PetardedEdited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski

Final Fantasy and Philosophy: The Ultimate WalkthroughEdited by Jason P. Blahuta and Michel S. Beaulieu

Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper Than SwordsEdited by Henry Jacoby

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy: Everything is FireEdited by Eric Bronson

Green Lantern and Philosophy: No Evil Shall Escape this BookEdited by Jane Dryden and Mark D. White

Heroes and Philosophy: Buy the Book, Save the WorldEdited by David Kyle Johnson

The Hobbit and Philosophy: For When You’ve Lost Your Dwarves, Your Wizard, and Your WayEdited by Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson

House and Philosophy: Everybody LiesEdited by Henry Jacoby

The Hunger Games and Philosophy: A Critique of Pure TreasonEdited by George Dunn and Nicolas Michaud

Inception and Philosophy: Because It’s Never Just a DreamEdited by David Johnson

Iron Man and Philosophy: Facing the Stark RealityEdited by Mark D. White

Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its ReasonsEdited by Sharon M. Kaye

Mad Men and Philosophy: Nothing Is as It SeemsEdited by James South and Rod Carveth

Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain SurgeryEdited by William Irwin

The Office and Philosophy: Scenes from the Unfinished LifeEdited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski

South Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something TodayEdited by Robert Arp

Spider-Man and Philosophy: The Web of InquiryEdited by Jonathan Sanford

Terminator and Philosophy: I’ll Be Back, Therefore I AmEdited by Richard Brown and Kevin Decker

True Blood and Philosophy: We Wanna Think Bad Things with YouEdited by George Dunn and Rebecca Housel

Twilight and Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians, and the Pursuit of ImmortalityEdited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski

The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for MugglesEdited by Gregory Bassham

The Ultimate Lost and Philosophy: Think Together, Die AloneEdited by Sharon M. Kaye

The Walking Dead and Philosophy: Shotgun. Machete. Reason.Edited by Christopher Robichaud

Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach TestEdited by Mark D. White

X-Men and Philosophy: Astonishing Insight and Uncanny Argument in the Mutant X-VerseEdited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski

Forthcoming:

Avatar and PhilosophyEdited by George Dunn

Dungeons and Dragons and PhilosophyEdited by Christopher Robichaud

Ender’s Game and PhilosophyEdited by Kevin Decker

Sons of Anarchy and PhilosophyEdited by George Dunn and Jason Eberl

Supernatural and PhilosophyEdited by Galen Foresman

The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy: More Moments of Zen, More Moments of Indecision TheoryEdited by Jason Holt

The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy: Respect My Philosophah!Edited by Robert Arp and Kevin Decker

This edition first published 2013© 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Superman and philosophy : what would the Man of Steel do? / edited by Mark D. White.pages cm. – (The Blackwell philosophy and popCulture series)Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-118-01809-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Superman (Fictitious character) 2. Philosophy in literature. 3. Comic books, strips, etc–Moral and ethical aspects. I. White, Mark D., 1971–PN6728.S9S866 2013741.5′9–dc23

2012050375

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Cover image: © PeskyMonkey/istockphotoCover design by www.simonlevyassociates.co.uk

Introduction

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane … It’s Philosophy!

Superman may not have been the first superhero, but ever since his introduction in Action Comics #1 in 1938, he has been the model for every superhero to follow. For the past 75 years, Superman has thrilled millions with his adventures in comic books, movies, and ­television shows. His legacy transcends national, cultural, and generational ­borders, mainly because he strikes so many universal themes. He’s a strange visitor from another planet who longs to be human. He’s a mild-mannered farm boy from Kansas who wins the heart of a ­cosmopolitan reporter from the big city. He’s the idealistic big blue boy scout who befriends a cynical dark knight detective. Finally, he’s the ultimate hero who serves as an inspiration for the rest of the world’s costumed protectors—and a few of its best philosophers.

Many people struggle to identify with Superman, regarding him as too perfect, too noble, too good. These qualities just make him an ideal, though, not something to reject but something to aspire to. When we scratch the surface, we find Superman is not that simple. In fact, he raises a lot of intriguing philosophical questions. If Superman is that good, why does he so often resort to violence? Why does he lie to protect his secret identity, and how does he reconcile this with a reporter’s devotion to the truth? Could Lex Luthor be right in telling us Superman is the real threat to humanity? Is Superman the realization of Nietzsche’s Übermensch—and is that a good or bad thing? Just how important is the big red “S,” the cape, and the spit-curl to who Superman is? And is there a good reason why Lois can’t tell that Clark Kent is really Superman?

Superman and Philosophy addresses all these questions and more. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a casual Superman fan or if you’ve read all the comics, seen all the movies, and watched all the live-action TV shows and cartoons. The 20 chapters in this book will answer some questions you’ve always had, make you think about Superman in ways you never realized were possible, and teach you a little ­philosophy along the way. So tell the Chief you’re taking the day off, find your own Fortress of Solitude, and start reading. Up, up, and away!

I would like to thank Bill Irwin, the real Superman behind the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, for giving me the honor of editing this landmark volume. (I really didn’t need to see him in the costume, though. The Supergirl costume, I mean.) I also thank Connie Santisteban and Jeff Dean at Wiley-Blackwell for supporting this book from start to finish. Special thanks go out to my contributors, who have a job at my large metropolitan newspaper whenever they want. Finally, all my thanks to the wonderful creators who have made Superman such a symbol of heroism for the last 75 years, especially the two who started it all, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Part One

THE BIG BLUE BOY SCOUT

ETHICS, JUDGMENT, AND REASON

Chapter 1

Moral Judgment

The Power That Makes Superman Human

Mark D. White

“Do whatever you think is best. I trust you.”

Lois Lane to Superman 1

Superman has incredible powers and, luckily for us, he chooses to use them for good. But good intentions are not enough to actually do good with his powers—he must know what to do with them as well. Most of the time this is simple: see bank robber, catch bank robber. Hear Jimmy Olsen’s signal watch, get him out of trouble. Find out Doomsday is threatening Metropolis, fight Doomsday (even to the death).

But not all choices are so clear-cut. Often there will be two or more disasters Superman needs to prevent. His enemies put him in such situations—“What will you do now, Superman: save the bus full of schoolchildren or your precious Lois?”—because that’s one of the few ways the writers of Superman can challenge him (aside from using kryptonite or magic). Sometimes he can find a way to save both the kids and Ms. Lane—after all, he is Superman—but other times he must make a choice. In such cases, all the superpowers in the world don’t matter, and it all comes down to judgment, the ability to make tough choices in difficult situations. The need for judgment is what brings all superheroes down to Earth, and what ultimately makes them relatable to their fans despite their fantastic abilities.