This is an excellent collection of essays. It covers a diverse range of philosophical topics. Almost every essay is not only well-written, but engaging and relevant for the average person in today's world. Unlike typical essays in previous entries in this Wiley-Blackwell series on "Philosophy and Pop Culture", these essays do tend to run a bit shorter than usual. This book is only 240 pages long, as opposed to more than 260 to 290 pages in other entries in the series.
There is a balanced mix of great and contemporary philosophers in these essays. Typical philosophical subjects, such as ethics and identity, are covered. But, and perhaps owing more to the richer subject matter available in an extant comic book series created in 1963, the reader is given the chance to be exposed to topics not typically covered in books like these. Editor Mark D. White starts off with an essay on the three major schools of ethics (deontology, utilitarianism and virtue ethics) by comparing Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. The "nature vs. nurture" debate is covered by the "Southworth/Tallman" household (they hit a home run with this one, making amends for their lackluster contribution in "Green Lantern and Philosophy"). The idea of the "meta" in art, as applied to comic books, is explored. (But watch out, She-Hulk may just jump out of this book and drag you in!). Can an android love a human? In fact, what is love? What are the different kinds of love, and how do they relate to each other? Here, the ideas of C.S. Lewis are presented and applied.
"Softer" topics are also explored. What is forgiveness? Can forgiveness be earned? (The answer may surprise you.) How does one find fulfillment? Can a wrongdoer be rehabilitated? Is it "right" to be proactive in dealing with crime? Aquinas' doctrine of double effect is brought to bear on this particular question. In one essay, we look at secrets and lies, and parallels are drawn to America's involvement in Iraq, and to the effect of and morality of WikiLeaks. Another essay reviewed military ethics, again with an emphasis on current events. (But no Hugo Grotius! That guy gets no respect, I tell you!) Editor White ends this collection with an essay on Taoism, and how to live a life in harmony.
So, this collection of essays is not your typical "plug and grind" book. That is, you don't just cover all the bases and make sure you mention all the great philosophers at least once. These essays are light, clean, clearly-written, easy to read, and they touch upon topics and issues that are relevant today, issues that affect each and every one of us. The topics covered here are not exactly those one would expect to find in this type of book. They are fresh and captivating. In its own unique way, this collection gives David Kyle Johnson's "Inception and Philosophy" a run for its money in terms of its overall excellence. Editor Mark D. White has every reason to be proud of this book. (He has also deftly escaped the "curse of the book's editor" - TWICE!) Indeed, I feel that this book could be used as a recommended text at the high school or college level. But remember, in making any such comparison, that "Inception..." dealt with a single movie and fewer, narrower themes, whereas "Avengers..." has nearly half a century of events from which to choose.
Was there anything that I did not like about this collection of essays? Yes, there is. Here goes:
Adam Barkman's essay on God, ontology and ethics read like a Sunday church sermon. His essay was all over the place. And whatever it was, it was thankfully SHORT. Andrew Zimmerman Jones' essay on time travel read as though it were written for an issue of "Discover" magazine. Neither of these essays did any justice to the book overall, and should not have been included. Barkman's essay should never have seen print (I had the same problem with his essay in "Spider-Man and Philosophy"). Zimmerman Jones' essay missed out on the chance to discuss theories of history while discussing time travel (Hegel? Marx? Foucault?).
Minor flaws existed, even in the best of these essays. In Southworth/Tallman's essay, on the one hand, we shouldn't praise Magneto nor blame Hank Pym, but on the other hand, if parents can indeed be blamed for not raising their kids right, then Magneto and Hank Pym can and should be blamed, or at least held to some account. Klayman's article on "Can an android love a human" momentarily dropped the ball, metaphorically-speaking, when he mentioned the myth of Narcisssus. It was the unrequited love of the mountain nymph Echo for Narcissus which is the correct analogy that Klayman should have used, not Narcissus' love of his own reflection.
A fabulous collection of essays, and a sheer joy to read. Five stars, easily. John V. Karavitis.
P.S. There's a typo in Editor White's essay on "Superhuman ethics". Verily.
