Superman and Philosophy

He has thrilled millions for 75 years, with a legacy that transcends national, cultural, and generational borders, but is there more to the Man of Steel than just your average mythic superhero in a cape? The 20 chapters in this book present a fascinating exploration of some of the deeper philosophical questions raised by Superman, the Last Son of Krypton and the newest hero in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture arsenal.

Introduction: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane … It’s Philosophy! 1

Part One The Big Blue Boy Scout: Ethics, Judgment, and Reason 3

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 and Shortcomings of Moral

Upbringing 37
Robert Sharp

Part Two Truth, Justice, and the American Way: What Do They Mean? 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, the Übermensch, and Existentialism 83

8 Rediscovering Nietzsche’s Übermensch in Superman as a 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 Existentialist Anti-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 in Kingdom 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 Morally Responsible 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 About Humanity 171
Leonard Finkelman

Contents vii

16 Can the Man of Steel Feel Our Pain? Sympathy and Superman 181
Andrew Terjesen

17 World’s Finest Philosophers: Superman and Batman on Human 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 Identity 207
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

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

“And this delightfully appealing tome does exactly that…” (Comics Review, 25 April 2013)

Mark D. White is chair of the Department of Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, where he teaches courses in economics, philosophy, and law. He has edited and coedited many books in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, including Batman and Philosophy, Watchmen and Philosophy, Iron Man and Philosophy, and The Avengers and Philosophy.

William Irwin is Professor of Philosophy at King’s College in Pennsylvania. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles including House and Philosophy, Batman and Philosophy, and Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy.

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

But he also raises significant philosophical dilemmas. If Superman is that good, for example, why does he so often resort to violence? Could Lex Luthor be right in telling us Superman is the real threat to humanity? Is Superman the realization of Nietzsche’s Übermensch—and is that a good or bad thing? And of course, why can’t Lois tell that Clark Kent is really Superman?

Gathering a veritable league of philosophers, Superman and Philosophy addresses all these questions and more. This book will thrill longtime and brand-new fans of Superman alike and will inspire new ways to think about the Man of Steel!