Batman and Ethics
()
About this ebook
Batman has been one of the world’s most beloved superheroes since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Clad in his dark cowl and cape, he has captured the imagination of millions with his single-minded mission to create a better world for the people of Gotham City by fighting crime, making use of expert detective skills, high-tech crime-fighting gadgets, and an extensive network of sidekicks and partners. But why has this self-made hero enjoyed such enduring popularity? And why are his choices so often the subject of intense debate among his fans and philosophers alike?
Batman and Ethics goes behind the mask to shed new light on the complexities and contradictions of the Dark Knight’s moral code. From the logic behind his aversion to killing to the moral status of vigilantism and his use of torture in pursuit of justice (or perhaps revenge), Batman’s ethical precepts are compelling but often inconsistent and controversial. Philosopher and pop culture expert Mark D. White uses the tools of moral philosophy to track Batman’s most striking ethical dilemmas and decisions across his most prominent storylines from the early 1970s through the launch of the New 52, and suggests how understanding the mercurial moral character of the caped crusader might help us reconcile our own.
A thought-provoking and entertaining journey through four decades of Batman’s struggles and triumphs in time for the franchise’s 80th anniversary, Batman and Ethics is a perfect gateway into the complex questions of moral philosophy through a focused character study of this most famous of fictional superheroes.
Mark D. White
Mark D. White is Chair and Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York and a member of the economics doctoral faculty at the Graduate Center of CUNY. His recent books include The Oxford Handbook of Ethics and Economics (editor) (2019) and Batman and Ethics (2019).
Read more from Mark D. White
The Virtues of Captain America: Modern-Day Lessons on Character from a World War II Superhero Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRights versus Antitrust: Challenging the Ethics of Competition Law Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Batman and Ethics
Related ebooks
Spider-Man and Philosophy: The Web of Inquiry Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Terminator and Philosophy: I'll Be Back, Therefore I Am Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Philosopher Reads...Marvel Comics' Thor: If They Be Worthy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod Interrogated: Reinterpreting the Divine Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsiPod and Philosophy: iCon of an ePoch Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuperheroes!: The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon from Ant-Man to Zorro Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Avengers and Philosophy: Earth's Mightiest Thinkers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Republic (SparkNotes Philosophy Guide) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Walking Dead and Philosophy: Shotgun. Machete. Reason. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Spider-Man Psychology: Untangling Webs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsScience Refutes Religion: An essay concerning How and what it means to prove God does not exist Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings1984 and Philosophy: Is Resistance Futile? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Big Lebowski and Philosophy: Keeping Your Mind Limber with Abiding Wisdom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Generation Abandoned: Why 'Whatever' Is Not Enough Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Daily Show and Philosophy: Moments of Zen in the Art of Fake News Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Bad Arguments: 100 of the Most Important Fallacies in Western Philosophy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ender's Game and Philosophy: The Logic Gate is Down Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Unofficial Guide to Cosmos Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Single-Sentence Shakespeare Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDune and Philosophy: Minds, Monads, and Muad'Dib Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSocrates Meets Machiavelli: The Father of Philosophy Cross-examines the Author of The Prince Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5SCP Foundation Agent 420 Paranormal Fun: SCP Foundation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod is Not Here: The Evidence Against the Divine Being Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn (Unlikely) Praise of Trump: Embracing America’s Shadow Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Iron Man vs. Captain America and Philosophy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStar Trek and Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Introducing Bertrand Russell: A Graphic Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Americans and Philosophy: Reds in the Bed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Devil and Philosophy: The Nature of His Game Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Philosophy For You
Meditations: A New Translation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Daily Stoic: A Daily Journal On Meditation, Stoicism, Wisdom and Philosophy to Improve Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inward Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bhagavad Gita (in English): The Authentic English Translation for Accurate and Unbiased Understanding Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Little Book of Stoicism: Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Calmness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Questions for Deep Thinkers: 200+ of the Most Challenging Questions You (Probably) Never Thought to Ask Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Good and Evil Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Hold a Cockroach: A book for those who are free and don't know it Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Be Here Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Course in Miracles: Text, Workbook for Students, Manual for Teachers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tao Te Ching: Six Translations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Complete Papyrus of Ani Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lessons of History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Loving Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Buddha's Guide to Gratitude: The Life-changing Power of Everyday Mindfulness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Art of War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lying Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tao Te Ching: A New English Version Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Denial of Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Courage to Be Happy: Discover the Power of Positive Psychology and Choose Happiness Every Day Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Meditations: Complete and Unabridged Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Batman and Ethics
0 ratings0 reviews