The Avengers and Philosophy Earth's Mightiest Thinkers

by Irwin, William; White, Mark D.

• ISBN13: 9781118074572
• ISBN10: 1118074572
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-03-13
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

An engaging look at the philosophical underpinnings of Earth's Mightiest Heroes-timed for the release of Joss Whedon's long-awaited film adaptation Avengers, assemble! Tackling intriguing dilemmas and issues that no single great philosopher can withstand, this powerful book enlists the brainpower of an A-list team of history's most prominent thinkers to explore the themes behind the action of Marvel Comics' all-star superhero team. Arms you with new insights into the characters and themes of The Avengers Deepens your appreciation both of The Avengers comics and the Joss Whedon movie adaptation Answers the philosophical questions you've always had about Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including: Can a reformed criminal become a superhero? Can an android love a human? If a hero beats his wife, is he still a hero? Helps you think differently about the members of the superhero team-Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the others This thought-provoking book will help you understand this band of superheroes better, whether you've followed the Avengers for years or are a Joss Whedon fan just getting to know them.

Author Biography

Mark D. White is chair of the Department of Political Science Economics, and Philosophy at the College of Staten Island, CUNY. He coedited Batman and Philosophy, and Green Lantern and Philosophy, and edited Watchmen and Philosophy and Iron Man and Philosophy. William Irwin is a professor of philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, 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, Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy, and Mad Men and Philosophy.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Earth's Mightiest Philosophers	p. 1
What Would an Avenger Do?
Superhuman Ethics Class with the Avengers Prime	p. 5
Shining the Light on the Dark Avengers	p. 18
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Family	p. 28
Who is an Avenger?
Superhero Identity: Case Studies in the Avengers	p. 43
I Am Made of Ink: She-Hulk and Metacomics	p. 57
The Self-Corruption of Norman Osborn: A Cautionary Tale	p. 71
Should the Avengers Do More than Avenge?
Forgivers Assemble!	p. 83
Gods, Beasts, and Political Animals: Why the Avengers Assemble	p. 98
Cap's Kooky Quartet: Is Rehabilitation Possible?	p. 113
Do the Avengers Ever Go Too Far?
Fighting the Good Fight: Military Ethics and the Kree-Skrull War	p. 131
Secrets and Lies: Compromising the Avengers' Values for the Good of the World	p. 142
The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Problem with Proactive Superheroics	p. 154
What Kind of World Do the Avengers Live In?
Can Kang Kill His Past Self? The Paradox of Time Travel	p. 171
"No Other Gods Before Me": God, Ontology, and Ethics in the Avengers' Universe	p. 183
Love Avengers Style: Can an Android Love a Human?	p. 194
The Way of the Arrow: Hawkeye Meets the Taoist Masters	p. 204
Appendix: Why Are There Four Volumes of Avengers	p. 217
Contributors: Avengers Academy	p. 221
Index: From Jarvis's Secret Files	p. 227
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