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Batman and Ethics
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.
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.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
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103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 18, 2020
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book.
It is, at it's core, a discussion of ethics that just happens to use the Batman mythos as its source material. The author, a university professor, does a decent job of balancing academic rigor and a hardcore fan's love of Batman. He manages to be sympathetic to the character, without overlooking the many flaws. The style can be a bit dry at times (he is an academic!) but very readable overall.
Speaking as an older fan who has read Batman comics for many decades, the book gave me a greater appreciation for, and admiration of, the comic's many writers.
On the other hand, as much as I enjoy a good exploration of the dark side I sorely miss the days when Batman was called "the world's greatest detective". "Batman and Ethics" focuses on these dark explorations of soul, and in doing so made me think about larger issues.
The book has extensive notes for each chapter that include references to the source material (ie. the specific issue where a point of discussion was mentioned), an extensive list of references, a good index, and a list of the comic writers and artists.
It is, at it's core, a discussion of ethics that just happens to use the Batman mythos as its source material. The author, a university professor, does a decent job of balancing academic rigor and a hardcore fan's love of Batman. He manages to be sympathetic to the character, without overlooking the many flaws. The style can be a bit dry at times (he is an academic!) but very readable overall.
Speaking as an older fan who has read Batman comics for many decades, the book gave me a greater appreciation for, and admiration of, the comic's many writers.
On the other hand, as much as I enjoy a good exploration of the dark side I sorely miss the days when Batman was called "the world's greatest detective". "Batman and Ethics" focuses on these dark explorations of soul, and in doing so made me think about larger issues.
The book has extensive notes for each chapter that include references to the source material (ie. the specific issue where a point of discussion was mentioned), an extensive list of references, a good index, and a list of the comic writers and artists.
August 31, 2020
The ethical implications of Batman are fascinating to me. And I think White is the guy to talk to on this topic. Unfortunately, what I imagine would be a fascinating discussion over beers has been turned into an unfocused, overly detailed book. I wanted to understand what these characters and choices represent in our own world and context. Instead, “Batman and Ethics” quotes from the comics at length - sometimes using the same quote multiple times across chapters - to make rudimentary points about Batman’s ethical history and moral code. The quotes themselves are not always as enlightening as you would hope, and the forty year period of comics he assesses are treated as one consistent character and biography (ignoring multiple authors, storyline inconsistencies, and the effect of the movies on Batman’s character).
But “Batman and Ethics” does serve as a great first-year introduction to broad ethical ideas in philosophy, like “the trolley problem” and utilitarianism. The book might serve better as a way to recruit comic fans into philosophy - but it does not use the construct of Batman’s character to ask important moral questions for our times.
But “Batman and Ethics” does serve as a great first-year introduction to broad ethical ideas in philosophy, like “the trolley problem” and utilitarianism. The book might serve better as a way to recruit comic fans into philosophy - but it does not use the construct of Batman’s character to ask important moral questions for our times.
April 25, 2020
It provided a fair analysis of Batman's morality and ethics, focusing mostly on utilitarianism and Deontological ethics. My main issue is with the goal of the book itself. It points out a bunch of contradictions in Batman's personal moral code, but doesn't really explore much beyond that. Okay, so Batman's a hypocrite... so what? He also uses a lot of the same examples to prove his point. Pair the fact that there are plenty of spelling errors in this book with its overall lack of direction, and it results in a pretty mediocre read.
August 10, 2023
Good intro for those inexperienced with philosophical ethics via Batman, but fairly repetitive with the quotes and characters used for examples. Also misses out on the ethics from movies and TV series which would have added good depth
February 2, 2024
A really interesting collection of essays and a great introduction to moral ethics in all fairness
June 30, 2024
(25 March, 2021)
White highlights Batman's inconsistent behaviour with his own belief system and argues the point somewhat successfully. This, he points out, makes the Dark Knight more appealing to comic book readers - well, of course it does. Bruce Wayne has many, many things going for him, having him be less perfect makes him more likeable and almost tangibly real. Batman could exist.
The author is inconsistent on his take of Batman's views and tactics and I don't agree with a few of his points (exempli gratia perceiving Batman's enjoyment of physical violence negatively instead of acknowledging Bruce's honesty with himself). Batman never labels his stance on any particular subject as 'utilitarian' or as 'deontological' and, although White accepts most people can freely move from one to the other, he sees Batman's shifting ideology as problematic. Ummmmmmm...
All in all, well researched, well argued, with numerous examples taken directly from the comic books and easy (and fun!) to read. I kept the rating at 3 stars but will admit this is slightly better than my usual 3 star '... And Philosophy' books.
White highlights Batman's inconsistent behaviour with his own belief system and argues the point somewhat successfully. This, he points out, makes the Dark Knight more appealing to comic book readers - well, of course it does. Bruce Wayne has many, many things going for him, having him be less perfect makes him more likeable and almost tangibly real. Batman could exist.
The author is inconsistent on his take of Batman's views and tactics and I don't agree with a few of his points (exempli gratia perceiving Batman's enjoyment of physical violence negatively instead of acknowledging Bruce's honesty with himself). Batman never labels his stance on any particular subject as 'utilitarian' or as 'deontological' and, although White accepts most people can freely move from one to the other, he sees Batman's shifting ideology as problematic. Ummmmmmm...
All in all, well researched, well argued, with numerous examples taken directly from the comic books and easy (and fun!) to read. I kept the rating at 3 stars but will admit this is slightly better than my usual 3 star '... And Philosophy' books.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews