"...a smart and fun-to-read book that uses three of the major ethical systems in western philosophy in order to explain why Batman does what he does...White writes in a clear, engaging style that moves along quickly. He's thoughtful, logical, and thorough without getting bogged down in overly-long philosophical explanations. There's also plenty of humor in the book, but it's never campy..."Armond Boudreaux - A Clash of Heroes - Superheroes, philosophy, ethics, and politics
Acknowledgments viIntroduction 1Part I: What Batman Tries to Do--and How He Might Do It Better 91 Utilitarianism and the Mission 112 Limitations of the Mission 193 Trade-Offs within the Mission 434 The Value and Meaning of the Bat 78Intermezzo 110Part II: What Batman Is Willing to Do--and What He Isn't 1155 Deontology and the Rules 1176 Killing 1257 Torture and Violence 1698 Law, Justice, and the Police 201Conclusion 229References 239Index 268List of Comics Writers and Artists 279
MARK D. WHITE is the chair of the Department of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, where he teaches courses in philosophy, economics, and law. He is editor or co-editor of a number of books in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, including Batman and Philosophy (Wiley Blackwell, 2009) with Robert Arp, and is the author of The Virtues of Captain America (Wiley Blackwell, 2014). He has also written, edited, and co-edited a number of academic books in philosophy, economics, and law and has authored many articles and book chapters in these areas.
