Go beyond the cape and into the mind of the Man of Steel, in time for release of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel movie and Superman's 75th anniversary He has thrilled millions for 75 years, with a legacy that transcends national, cultural, and generational borders, but is there more to the Man of Steel than just your average mythic superhero in a cape? The 20 chapters in this book present a fascinating exploration of some of the deeper philosophical questions raised by Superman, the Last Son of Krypton and the newest hero in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture arsenal. "As can be noted from my comments above, any book that will make you think or react makes for an interesting read and ‘Superman And Philosophy’ succeeds in doing that. One should always be glad that Superman sees himself as the good scout otherwise the DC Earth would truly be hell." ( SFCrowsnest.org.uk , 1 June 2013) “And this delightfully appealing tome does exactly that…” ( Comics Review , 25 April 2013) Superman may not have been the first superhero, but ever since his introduction in Action Comics #1 in 1938, he has been the model for every superhero to follow. For 75 years Superman has thrilled millions with his adventures in comic books, television shows, and movies. His popularity transcends all borders because he strikes so many universal themes, such as justice and strength, moral responsibility, identity, and the heroic ideals of perfection, goodness, and nobility. But he also raises significant philosophical dilemmas. If Superman is that good, for example, why does he so often resort to violence? Could Lex Luthor be right in telling us Superman is the real threat to humanity? Is Superman the realization of Nietzsche’s Übermensch —and is that a good or bad thing? And of course, why can’t Lois tell that Clark Kent is really Superman? Gathering a veritable league of philosophers, Superman and Philosophy addresses all these questions and more. This book will thrill longtime and brand-new fans of Superman alike and will inspire new ways to think about the Man of Steel! Superman may not have been the first superhero, but ever since his introduction in Action Comics #1 in 1938, he has been the model for every superhero to follow. For 75 years Superman has thrilled millions with his adventures in comic books, television shows, and movies. His popularity transcends all borders because he strikes so many universal themes, such as justice and strength, moral responsibility, identity, and the heroic ideals of perfection, goodness, and nobility. But he also raises significant philosophical dilemmas. If Superman is that good, for example, why does he so often resort to violence? Could Lex Luthor be right in telling us Superman is the real threat to humanity? Is Superman the realization of Nietzsche’s Übermensch ―and is that a good or bad thing? And of course, why can’t Lois tell that Clark Kent is really Superman? Gathering a veritable league of philosophers, Superman and Philosophy addresses all these questions and more. This book will thrill longtime and brand-new fans of Superman alike and will inspire new ways to think about the Man of Steel! Mark D. White is chair of the Department of Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, where he teaches courses in economics, philosophy, and law. He has edited and coedited many books in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, including Batman and Philosophy , Watchmen and Philosophy , Iron Man and Philosophy , and The Avengers and Philosophy . William Irwin is Professor of Philosophy at King’s College in 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, Batman and Philosophy , and Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy .