Superman and Philosophy: What Would the Man of Steel Do?

Superman may not have been the first superhero, but ever sincehis introduction in Action Comics #1 in 1938, he has beenthe model for every superhero to follow. For 75 years Superman hasthrilled millions with his adventures in comic books, televisionshows, and movies. His popularity transcends all borders because hestrikes so many universal themes, such as justice and strength,moral responsibility, identity, and the heroic ideals ofperfection, goodness, and nobility.

But he also raises significant philosophical dilemmas. IfSuperman is that good, for example, why does he so often resort toviolence? Could Lex Luthor be right in telling us Superman is thereal threat to humanity? Is Superman the realization ofNietzsche s Übermensch and is that a goodor bad thing? And of course, why can t Lois tell that ClarkKent is really Superman?

Gathering a veritable league of philosophers, Superman andPhilosophy addresses all these questions and more. This bookwill thrill longtime and brand–new fans of Superman alike and willinspire new ways to think about the Man of Steel!

Part One The Big Blue Boy Scout: Ethics, Judgment, and Reason3

1 Moral Judgment: The Power That Makes Superman Human 5
Mark D. White

2 Action Comics! Superman and Practical Reason 16
Brian Feltham

3 Can the Man of Tomorrow Be the Journalist of Today? 26
Jason Southworth and Ruth Tallman

4 Could Superman Have Joined the Third Reich? The Importance andShortcomings of Moral Upbringing 37
Robert Sharp

Part Two Truth, Justice, and the American Way: What Do TheyMean? 47

5 Clark Kent Is Superman! The Ethics of Secrecy 49
Daniel P. Malloy

6 Superman and Justice 61
Christopher Robichaud

7 Is Superman an American Icon? 71
Andrew Terjesen

Part Three The Will to Superpower: Nietzsche, theÜbermensch, and Existentialism 83

8 Rediscovering Nietzsche s Übermensch in Superman asa Heroic Ideal 85
Arno Bogaerts

9 Superman or Last Man: The Ethics of Superpower 101
David Gadon

10 Superman: From Anti–Christ to Christ–Type 111
Adam Barkman

11 Superman Must Be Destroyed! Lex Luthor as ExistentialistAnti–Hero 121
Sarah K. Donovan and Nicholas Richardson

Part Four The Ultimate Hero: What Do We Expect from Superman?131

12 Superman s Revelation: The Problem of Violence inKingdom Come 133
David Hatfield

13 A World Without a Clark Kent? 145
Randall M. Jensen

14 The Weight of the World: How Much Is Superman MorallyResponsible For? 157
Audrey L. Anton

Part Five Superman and Humanity: A Match Made on Krypton?169

15 Superman and Man: What a Kryptonian Can Teach Us AboutHumanity 171
Leonard Finkelman

16 Can the Man of Steel Feel Our Pain? Sympathy and Superman181
Andrew Terjesen

17 World s Finest Philosophers: Superman and Batman onHuman Nature 194
Carsten Fogh Nielsen

Part Six Of Superman and Superminds: Who Is Superman, Anyway?205

18 It s a Bird, It s a Plane, It s Clark Kent? Superman and the Problem of Identity207
Nicolas Michaud

19 Superman Family Resemblance 217
Dennis Knepp

20 Why Superman Should Not Be Able to Read Minds 225
Mahesh Ananth

Contributors: Trapped in the Philosophy Zone 237

Index: From Brainiac s Files 243

Mark D. White is chair of the Department of PoliticalScience, Economics, and Philosophy at the College of StatenIsland/CUNY, where he teaches courses in economics, philosophy, andlaw. He has edited and coedited many books in the BlackwellPhilosophy and Pop Culture series, including Batman andPhilosophy, Watchmen and Philosophy, Iron Man andPhilosophy, and The Avengers and Philosophy.

William Irwin is Professor of Philosophy at King sCollege. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre ofbooks as coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons andPhilosophy and has overseen recent titles including Houseand Philosophy, Batman and Philosophy, and Alice inWonderland and Philosophy.

"As can be noted from my comments above, any book that will makeyou think or react makes for an interesting read and Superman And Philosophy succeeds in doing that. Oneshould always be glad that Superman sees himself as the good scoutotherwise the DC Earth would truly be hell." (SFCrowsnest.org.uk, 1 June 2013)

And this delightfully appealing tome does exactlythat   (Comics Review, 25 April 2013)