Superheroes and philosophy : truth, justice, and the Socratic way / edited by Tom Morris and Matt Morris.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Morris, Thomas V.

Morris, Matt, 1983-

Series:

Popular culture and philosophy ; v. 13.

Popular culture and philosophy ; v. 13

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Comic books, strips, etc--Moral and ethical aspects.

Comic books, strips, etc.

Heroes in literature.

Physical Description:

xiii, 281 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Chicago, Ill. : Open Court, [2005]

Summary:

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.

Contents:

The image of the superhero

The real truth about Superman / Mark Waid

Heroes and superheroes / Jeph Loeb and Tom Morris

The Crimson Viper versus the Maniacal Morphing Meme / Dennis O'Neil

Superhero revisionism in Watchmen and The dark knight returns / Aeon J. Skoble

The existential world of the superhero

God, the Devil, and Matt Murdock / Tom Morris

The power and the glory / Charles Taliaferro and Craig Lindahl-Urben

Myth, morality, and the women of the X-men / Rebecca Housel

Barbard Gordon and moral perfectionism / James B. South

Batman and friends / Matt Morris

The Fantastic Four as a family / Chris Ryall and Scott Tipton

Comic-book wisdom / Michael Thau

Superheroes and moral duty

Why are superheroes good? Comics and the Ring of Gyges / Jeff Brenzel

Why should superheroes be good? / C. Stephen Evans

With great power comes great responsibility / Chistopher Robichaud

Whay be a superhero? Why be moral? / C. Stephen Layman

Superman and Kingdom come / Felix Tallon and Jerry Walls

Identity and superhero metaphysics

Questions of identity / Kevin Kinghorn

Identity crisis / Richard Hanley

What's behind the mask? /Tom Morris.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0812695739

OCLC:

58456048

Publisher Number:

9780812695731