Superheroes and Philosophy

Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way

By: Tom Morris (Editor), Matt Morris (Editor), William Irwin (Editor)

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Paperback | 20 April 2005

At a Glance

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281 Pages

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22.8 x 15.2 x 1.91

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The comic book superheroes -- Superman, Batman, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, and many others -- have proved to be a powerful and enduring thread in popular culture, a rich source of ideas for moviemakers, novelists, and philosophers. Superheroes and Philosophy brings together 16 leading philosophers and some of the most creative people in the world of comics, from storywriters to editors to critics, to examine the deeper issues that resonate from the hyperbolic narratives and superhuman actions of this heroic world. The comic book narratives of superheroes wrestle with profound and disturbing issues in original ways: the definitions of good and evil, the limits of violence as an efficacious means, the perils of enforcing justice outside the law, the metaphysics of personal identity, and the definition of humanity. The book also features original artwork specially commissioned from some of the most popular of today's comic book artists.

Industry Reviews

"Superman's costume always bugged me when I was a kid... So you need a secret identity -- cool. But what's the deal with all the rainbow-hued Spandex masks and costumes?... I found the answer to this great metaphysical dilemma in the book Superheroes and Philosophy, edited by Tom Morris and Matt Morris. In various essays, college philosophy professors and others ruminate on profound issues raised by the superhero lifestyle, such as how Batgirl reflects Nietzsche's moral perfectionism." -- Rick de Yampert, Daytona Beach News-Journal, December 15, 2006

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The Image of the Superhero	p. 1
The Real Truth about Superman: And the Rest of Us, Too	p. 3
Heroes and Superheroes	p. 11
The Crimson Viper versus the Maniacal Morphing Meme	p. 21
Superhero Revisionism in Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns	p. 29
The Existential World of the Superhero	p. 43
God, the Devil, and Matt Murdock	p. 45
The Power and the Glory	p. 62
Myth, Morality, and the Women of the X-Men	p. 75
Barbara Gordon and Moral Perfectionism	p. 89
Batman and Friends: Aristotle and The Dark Knight's Inner Circle	p. 102
The Fantastic Four as a Family: The Strongest Bond of All	p. 118
Comic-Book Wisdom	p. 130
Superheroes and Moral Duty	p. 145
Why Are Superheroes Good? Comics and the Ring of Gyges	p. 147
Why Should Superheroes Be Good? Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Kierkegaard's Double Danger	p. 161
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: On the Moral Duties of the Super-Powerful and Super-Heroic	p. 177
Why Be a Superhero? Why Be Moral?	p. 19
Superman and Kingdom Come: The Surprise of Philosophical Theology	p. 207
Identity and Superhero Metaphysics	p. 221
Questions of Identity: Is the Hulk the Same Person as Bruce Banner?	p. 223
Identity Crisis: Time Travel and Metaphysics in the DC Multiverse	p. 237
What's Behind the Mask? The Secret of Secret Identities	p. 250
Wow! It Could Be the Greatest Gathering of Minds in Comic-Book History! Hold on to Your Hats and Get Ready for the Bios of Your Life!	p. 267
Index	p. 275
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Superheroes and Philosophy

Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

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