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Heroes and Philosophy
Buy the Book, Save the World

William Irwin (Series edited by), David K. Johnson (Edited by)

9780470373385, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 7 August 2009

320 pages, Charts: 10 B&W, 0 Color
23.1 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.435 kg

The first unauthorized look at the philosophy behind Heroes, one of TV's most popular shows

When ordinary individuals from around the world inexplicably develop superhuman abilities, they question who they are, struggle to cope with new responsibilities, and decide whether to use their new power for good or for evil. Every episode of Tim Kring's hit TV show Heroes is a philosophical quandary. Heroes and Philosophy is the first book to analyze how philosophy makes this show so compelling. It lets you examine questions crucial to our existence as thinking, rational beings. Is the Company evil, or good? Does Hiro really have a destiny? Do we? Is it okay to lie in order to hide your powers or save the world? Heroes and Philosophy offers answers to these and other intriguing questions.

  • Brings the insight of history's philosophical heavyweights such as Plato and Nietzche to Heroes characters and settings
  • Adds a fun and fascinating dimension to your understanding of the show
  • Expands your thinking about Heroes as the series expands from graphic and text novels to action figures and a video game

Whether you're new to Heroes or have been a fan since day one, this book will take your enjoyment of the show to the next level.

Acknowledgments: Godsends ix

Introduction: The Wonder of Heroes 1

Part One Heroic Obligations

1 Above the Social Contract? How Superheroes Break Society 6
Robert Sharp

2 Heroes, Obligations, and the Ethics of Saving the World 22
J. K. Miles

3 Corporate Capers: The Moral Dimensions of Working for the Company 35
Christopher Robichaud

4 With Great Creativity Comes Great Imitation: Problems of Plagiarism and Knowledge 49
Jason Southworth Copyrighted Material

Part Two Supermen, Samurai, and Invisible Men

5 Time and the Meaning of Life in Heroes and Nietzsche 66
Tyler Shores

6 Hiro Nakamura, Bushido, and Hero Archetypes 79
Erik Daniel Baldwin

7 Plato on Gyges’ Ring of Invisibility: The Power of Heroes and the Value of Virtue 93
Don Adams

Part Three Metaphysics, Regular Physics, And Heroic Time Travel

8 The Foreknowledge of a Painter, the Fate of a Hiro 110
David Kyle Johnson

9 Time to Be a Hero: Branching Time and Changing the Future 123
Morgan Luck

10 Heroes and the Ethics of Time Travel: Does the Present Matter? 140
David Faraci

11 The Science of Heroes: Flying Men, Immortal Samurai, and Destroying the Space-Time Continuum 155
Andrew Zimmerman Jones

12 Pseudoscience, Scientific Revolutions, and Dr. Chandra Suresh 174
David Kyle Johnson and Andrew Zimmerman Jones

Part Four The Minds of Heroes

13 Peter Petrelli, the Haitian, and the Philosophical Implications of Memory Loss 184
Peter Kirwan

14 Understanding Other Minds: Philosophical Foundations of Heroes ’ Mind-Reading Powers 200
Fabio Paglieri

15 Peter Petrelli: The Power of Empathy 222
Andrew Terjesen

Part Five Villains, Family, and Lying

16 Are the Heroes Really Good? 240
Peter S. Fosl

17 Heroes and Family Obligations 254
Ruth Tallman and Jason Southworth

18 Concealment and Lying: Is That Any Way for a Hero to Act? 268
Michael R. Berry

Contributors: Our Heroes 281

Chandra Suresh’s List: A Catalogue Of Powers, Both Natural And Synthetic 287

Index: The Power Of Omniscience 301

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]
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