Iron Man and Philosophy: Facing the Stark Reality

Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture #18

by Mark D. White (Editor), William Irwin (Series Editor)

The first look at the philosophy behind the Iron Man comics and movies, timed for the release of Iron Man 2 in March 2010 On the surface, Iron Man appears to be a straightforward superhero, another rich guy fighting crime with fancy gadgets. But beneath the shiny armor and flashy technology lies Tony Stark, brilliant inventor and eccentric playboy, struggling to balance his desires, addictions, and relationships with his duties as the Armored Avenger. Iron Man and Philosophy explores the many philosophical issues that emerge from the essential conflicts found in the decades of Iron Man stories in comics and movies. What kind of moral compass does Tony Stark have? Is Iron Man responsible for the death of Captain America after the Marvel Universe “Civil War”? Should people like Stark run the world? How does Tony’s alcoholism impact his performance as Iron Man, and what does it say about moral character? Ultimately, what can Iron Man teach us about the role of technology in society? As absorbing as Iron Man comic books and movies, Iron Man and Philosophy : Whether you've been reading the comic books for years or have gotten into Iron Man through the movies, Iron Man and Philosophy is a must-have companion for every fan.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Marvel, Pop Culture, Comics, Media Analysis, Film

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2010

Reviews

[Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen)]

DNF @15%

No rating because this is probably just me not understanding what this is about, or poor marketing. But for something with Tony Starks own name, you think this would have more to do with the character, instead this reads like a philosophy textbook. There's a lot of parallels between old philosophers (Parmenides, Socrates, Empedocles, etc) and quotes they've made about technology and man.

It's really more of a look at the philosophical effects of the Iron Man technology than any sort of character or world study, and frankly it bores me.

[Elliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these essays were absolutely brilliant - the ones where you can tell they either have a true passion for Iron Man, or where they've done their research. These tend to have a lot of footnotes referencing both philosophical texts and specific issues or storylines featuring Tony Stark. The rest watched the first film and went "meh, that'll do".

[Christopher Struck]

Various perspectives from the history of philosophy on the relationship between man and superman connected to the concept of man and machine. More interesting than I expected after sitting on my shelf for over 15 years, but more helpful to have read the quoted philosophers prior to reading the text as this is more like a collection of opinion essays on understanding how Iron Man relates to the contemporary reader/viewer through the lens of various philosophers (and how views changed from the character's comic book conception to the release of the first movie).

[Miguel Pinto · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a nice read but...
this is a rather repetitive exploration of the iron man mythos, but well written.
it is easy to read but you get the feeling of deja vu after reading some chapters.
in the end
it a nice insight on the iron mythos but feels a bit repetitive.
fans will love it anyway

[Bennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read which examines a fictional superhero and philosophical applications to the character's life. A nice thorough look at Iron Man and his associates, good and bad, and real life philosophers outlook as it pertains to the characters. Enjoying this series.

[Navid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun introduction to philosophy and logic but does not go very deep and isn't very insightful. Just a fun read if you like iron man and philosophy

[Federica Malpasso]

Lettura interrotta.

[Amy]

Literary analysis is probably my favorite subgenre of nonfiction, and I was particularly excited to start reading some of the books in this pop culture analysis series. I started the Jurassic Park book first and it is...well, wildly disappointing is an understatement (I've been working my way through an essay or two at a time for over a month because that's all I have patience for). I actually started the Iron Man book just to see if all the books were that bad and if I should not even try reading some of the others I've collected. Happily, Iron Man and Philosophy has at least somewhat redeemed this series, in that I've decided to at least give the other books a chance. While some of the essays weren't great, that's an issue with all anthologies so it's nothing out of the ordinary, and most of the essays I found to be well written and insightful. I'm familiar with Iron Man mostly through the presentation in the MCU, so reading about so many other different variations of the character and the topics those variants explore was fascinating. It is also a great place to get ideas about where to start reading the comics because Marvel's organization system leaves much to be desired. All in all, Iron Man and Philosophy was a worthwhile read.

[Bishop Harber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't like Iron Man? I mean, seriously? There is so much to like about Tony Stark and so little to hate. He's the misunderstood genius that's been elevated to the heights of ego, power, fame, and money with almost no consequences to face: except getting shot at, blown up, torched, and beaten down at every turn.

Iron Man and Philosophy: Facing the Stark Reality is a great little volume of essays that explores the good, the bad, and the ugly about Iron Man and Tony Stark. This book tackles what makes up a hero, copyright and trademark (property) rights, intelligent machines, and a host of other topics in clear, concise, and accessible articles.

So far, this is one of the better Pop Culture and Philosophy books I've read. I look forward to others.

[Joseph Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing the first Iron Man movie this book was a wonderful inside look at motivations from the characters. The concepts of philosophy are interesting but I enjoy these books because it helps describe the characters thoughts, desires, and behavior. It was a bit of a let down to have many of the same essays on Iron Man in the book Avengers on Philosophy. I ended up prefer the Avengers book as it offered more contrast of behavior amongst characters and the challenges they faced.

Mr. Joe

[Eric F Knox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different, interesting and I like it. It goes in a real positive direction, talking about principles and time tested/consequence based living. As a science literate adult I appreciate the complete lack of BS. Also, I caught up on Iron Man's story line.
Finished it in record time.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

The worst of this philosophy/pop culture mash ups I've read: not well written and surprisingly dull.

[Fabián A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book, I was deeply interested in the alcoholism essay. It gave me a whole new perspective about this disease.

[Alejo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first section, philosophy + technology is worth a gooda and careful reading, and also the last chapter (about trascendence) was an eye opener for me.

[Amazingsomeone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, different from other books in this series. Some cool discussions about technology and future which I haven't found in any other book in this series.

[Jeffrey Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy these books. Taking the depth of Philosphy and looking at comics with it. SO fun!