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A Philosopher Reads...Marvel Comics' Civil War
We love to see superheroes fight, whether to protect innocent people from supervillains or to save the world. But superheroes also fight each other, and if we can look past the energy blasts and earthshattering punches, we can find serious disagreements over principles and ethics. This was certainly the case when Captain America and Iron Man went headtohead over liberty and security in Marvel Comics' epic Civil War storyline, a fictional allegory to post9/11 America (as well as the basis for the third Captain America film).
In his latest book, Mark D. White, author of The Virtues of Captain America and editor of Iron Man and Philosophy, carefully leads you through the ethical thinking of the three characters on the front lines of the Civil Iron Man, Captain America, and SpiderMan.
In his characteristically light and humorous tone, White lays out the basic ethical foundations of each hero's thinking and highlights the moral judgment each must use to put his ethics into action. But also how conflicting principles such as liberty and security must be balanced in the real world, lest both be lost.
Written in a style that will be easily accessible to everyone, A Philosopher Reads... Marvel Comics' Civil War will be a fascinating read for diehard comic fans and philosophy buffs, as well as those looking for a simple introduction to philosophical ethics.
In his latest book, Mark D. White, author of The Virtues of Captain America and editor of Iron Man and Philosophy, carefully leads you through the ethical thinking of the three characters on the front lines of the Civil Iron Man, Captain America, and SpiderMan.
In his characteristically light and humorous tone, White lays out the basic ethical foundations of each hero's thinking and highlights the moral judgment each must use to put his ethics into action. But also how conflicting principles such as liberty and security must be balanced in the real world, lest both be lost.
Written in a style that will be easily accessible to everyone, A Philosopher Reads... Marvel Comics' Civil War will be a fascinating read for diehard comic fans and philosophy buffs, as well as those looking for a simple introduction to philosophical ethics.
- GenresPhilosophy
226 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2016
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68 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 20, 2018
An interesting look at these beloved characters that I could not put down.
December 4, 2018
It was interesting seeing theories of morality applied to the marvel universe. A really cool book to read for any Marvel fanatics out there.
June 30, 2016
I really enjoyed this.
I thought it would be a fun romp back through the Civil War story. I didn't really anticipate learning too much.
I was wrong. It was a fun romp back through the Civil War story. He does a good job of recapping important plot points. But I actually learned quite a lot.
What I found most fascinating were the parts about Iron Man and utilitarianism. When I read the Civil War comics, I thought Iron Man was a monster. I couldn't fathom that a hero would ever make the decisions he made. I still feel that way after reading this book, but this book helped me understand his motivations. The utilitarian philosophy is an interesting one. The basic idea is that you make decisions based on what will make the most people happy. If a decision maximizes utility across a population, it is right. Any individuals who suffer are merely part of a cold equation that weighs the happiness of all.
I find this philosophy to be terrifying. That kind of philosophy can justify any number of horrendous deeds toward individuals as long as the individual suffering is outweighed by greater happiness by large numbers of people. But delving into that philosophy was so interesting to me. Not only did it help me understand Iron Man, but it helped me understand some of my more liberal friends. The utilitarian philosophy will happily sacrifice individual freedom (to choose what healthcare to buy, to choose whether to be in a union, etc.) if it means the collective is happier overall.
This is a great read. If you liked this storyline in the comics, you should delve into this. It also delves into the philosophy behind Spiderman and Captain America. For me, those weren't as interesting, basically because their motivations already made sense to me. But maybe if you found yourself siding with Iron Man (you monster) then you will enjoy seeing a new way of thinking in Captain America.
Regardless of who you sided with, you should read this book. You might learn something about those you disagree with. You might even learn something about yourself.
I thought it would be a fun romp back through the Civil War story. I didn't really anticipate learning too much.
I was wrong. It was a fun romp back through the Civil War story. He does a good job of recapping important plot points. But I actually learned quite a lot.
What I found most fascinating were the parts about Iron Man and utilitarianism. When I read the Civil War comics, I thought Iron Man was a monster. I couldn't fathom that a hero would ever make the decisions he made. I still feel that way after reading this book, but this book helped me understand his motivations. The utilitarian philosophy is an interesting one. The basic idea is that you make decisions based on what will make the most people happy. If a decision maximizes utility across a population, it is right. Any individuals who suffer are merely part of a cold equation that weighs the happiness of all.
I find this philosophy to be terrifying. That kind of philosophy can justify any number of horrendous deeds toward individuals as long as the individual suffering is outweighed by greater happiness by large numbers of people. But delving into that philosophy was so interesting to me. Not only did it help me understand Iron Man, but it helped me understand some of my more liberal friends. The utilitarian philosophy will happily sacrifice individual freedom (to choose what healthcare to buy, to choose whether to be in a union, etc.) if it means the collective is happier overall.
This is a great read. If you liked this storyline in the comics, you should delve into this. It also delves into the philosophy behind Spiderman and Captain America. For me, those weren't as interesting, basically because their motivations already made sense to me. But maybe if you found yourself siding with Iron Man (you monster) then you will enjoy seeing a new way of thinking in Captain America.
Regardless of who you sided with, you should read this book. You might learn something about those you disagree with. You might even learn something about yourself.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews