Superman is probably the most famous fictional character in the world. From Australia to Algeria to Alaska, from toddlers to seniors, pretty much everyone knows who Superman is. Debuting in June 1938’s Action Comics #1, Superman was also the very first superhero, the mold from which all others were cast. And with the advent of World War II, he became a symbol of America. According to a recent survey, although he’s no longer the most bankable, Superman is still America’s favorite superhero. And yet, ironically, he’s often compared with or attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche’s Übermensch (literally translated as ‘superman’ or ‘overman’) – a philosophical construct associated by some with nihilism and fascism. Is that Superman’s true origin story?
Superman has been compared to the Übermensch since his beginning. In 1941, both the New Republic and Saturday Evening Post assumed a connection. In 1943, Catholic World denounced him for it. In 1954, in his infamous book, Seduction of the Innocent: The Influence of Comic Books on Today’s Youth, renowned child psychiatrist Fredric Wertham called Superman ‘Nietzsche in the nursery’, claiming that as the Nazi overman he engendered prejudice against ‘submen’ in children. The connection continues to be discussed and presented as fact in books and articles. The truth, as always, is more complicated.
Superman: Origins
Denne historien er fra February/March 2022-utgaven av Philosophy Now.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February/March 2022-utgaven av Philosophy Now.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Two Dennises
Hannah Mortimer observes a close encounter of the same kind.
Heraclitus (c.500 BC)
Harry Keith lets flow a stream of ideas about permanence and change.
Does the Cosmos Have a Purpose?
Raymond Tallis argues intently against universal intention.
Is Driving Fossil-Fuelled Cars Immoral?
Rufus Duits asks when we can justify driving our carbon contributors.
Abelard & Carneades Yes & No
Frank Breslin says 'yes and no' to presenting both sides of an argument.
Frankl & Sartre in Search of Meaning
Georgia Arkell compares logotherapy and atheistic existentialism.
Luce Irigaray
Luce Irigaray, now ninety-two years old, was, among many other things, one of the most impactful feminists of the 1970s liberation movements - before she was marginalised, then ostracised, from the francophone intellectual sphere.
Significance
Ruben David Azevedo tells us why, in a limitless universe, we’re not insignificant.
The Present Is Not All There Is To Happiness
Rob Glacier says don’t just live in the now.
Philosophers Exploring The Good Life
Jim Mepham quests with philosophers to discover what makes a life good.