Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way (Popular Culture and Philosophy) [Paperback]

Tom Morris (Editor), Matt Morris (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2005 | Series: Popular Culture and Philosophy (Book 13)

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

About the Author

Tom Morris is the former Notre Dame philosophy professor whose classes became a campus legend, and whose nationwide speaking engagements have electrified the boardrooms of corporate America. His best-selling popular philosophy books include If Aristotle Ran General Motors and Philosophy for Dummies. Filmmaker and comics aficionado Matt Morris is a survivor of Harvard and UNCChapel Hill. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Open Court; 1st Printing edition (May 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812695739
• ISBN-13: 978-0812695731
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Good & Evil

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Philosophy With Some POW! WHAM! ZAP! July 18, 2005

By Bu-Chan

Format:Paperback

I am not a great fan of comic books and have never really been into them in any way. I have also not really been impressed by the movies made from the more popular comic book heroes, (though X-Men was very cool). "Superheroes and Philosophy" proved to be an excellent choice of read despite these issues for me.

If you are likewise someone who has never read a comic book, or does not have Daredevil Issue #134, don't worry! Even if you missed the movies, don't worry! The contributors to the book have written their essays in such a way that anyone can enjoy them. Also, some superheroes are such cultural icons that any familiarity with the comics or the movies is basically unnecessary. The essays quote some of the comic books, but even the most unfamiliar characters pose no problem due to the explanations given.

Another aspect that was notable is that not all of the contributors are philosophers in the strict sense. Some of them are working in the industry of the superheroes for the companies that publish the books themselves. Shattering my previously held mythical belief that people who wrote comics were just adults going through prolonged puberty, some these contributors made the most astute and detailed observations about their craft. I was singularly impressed with the reflections they made on their own work, and the characters with which they dealt.

Other contributors made their essays relevant by focusing on the challenges that superheroes present to us and the questions they raise over how we live life. Bringing the more personal element into philosophy as shown through various heroes drew the concepts into reality and made them less abstract and more "concrete". This was something this volume achieved more than other volumes that I have read in the same series.

Comic fan or not, this is a book that fits well with the high standard set by other books in the "Popular Culture and Philosophy" series. As the 13th volume, it makes a worthy contribution to the series and is completely recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really gained a lot from it. All in all, a fantastic book that covers a large range of topics within the framework of a universe with superheroes and super-villians. I loved every page!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Philosophy! May 21, 2006

By J. J. Kwashnak VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It With the concepts of the selfless fight for others, the need and use of secret identities for personal protection and the tendency of wearing one's underwear on the outside in your costume, the area of superheroes is a rich vein of topics for the discussion of philosophy. Anyone who has read comics as a kid (or an adult), watched the cartoons or movie exploits of super heroes can relate to the topics presented in these essays. Using "everyday life" of these heroes the authors look at why heroes would use powers for good, or even why be costumed heroes at all instead of using abilities for personal gain. And are the heroes and their everyday identities the same person, or are the secret identity and the superhero two distinct entities? The examinations cover the "zap" "pow" of classic superheroes like Superman, to the darker and more questionable "heroes" of more recent work such as The Watchmen. With such a broad and rich area to work with, it is refreshing to see so many essays mining different examples of superherodom to examine. Not all essays are great, but overall the book is interesting and fun reading, and yet again helps examine philosophical ideas through more popular arenas's Philosophy.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It is a good thing to help others July 20, 2005

By Mark Alfred

Format:Paperback

It's a good read that will stimulate some little grey cells. Topics such as moral relativism, identity (is Banner or Hulk the "real" one?), why do what's right, and so on are addressed in a pretty interesting way.

I agree with Eliott S! Maggin when he said "There is a right and a wrong in the universe, and most of the time it is not that hard to tell the difference."

If you also agree about the unexamined life not being worth living, look into this book. Even the author biographies are funny!

This is a much much better investment than those dopey The Science of Superheroes or ...Villains etc books.