Superman and Philosophy

The Man of Steel, the Last Son of Krypton, Kal-El, Clark. You get the drift, I'm talking about effing Superman. There are few figures in popular culture with the sort of universally iconic status the Man of Tomorrow possesses. Superman is an influential modern day mythology that encompasses the American ideal. Even though the ideal seems very lost on today's generation of youth. Superman has always fought and hopefully will always fight for truth, justice, and the American way. Does anybody know what the American way is anymore? Is it still: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Well, I hope so.

Either way, Supes is there to help. But I wonder why. Why does a being of infinite power look down upon humanity with all of our flaws and feel anything but contempt for our collective character and actions? Superman fights that never-ending battle for us, but surely he gets discouraged. Surely the numerous attempts we make to wipe each other off of the planet do not go unnoticed by his telescopic vision. So why? Why help a morally bankrupt species that is too paralyzed by apathy to help itself?

Does his alien physiology have an uber-evolved altruism gene? I recently read an excellent collection of philosophical treatises. Why break away from my regular reading for such a heady and complex subject matter? Because the title of the collection is Superheroes and Philosophy So really I'm still reading about comics. And comics are, as I have long maintained, our own modern day mythology, combining the archetypical super-heroic elements of their predecessors as well as updating the ethical lessons contained therein. Thus Superman is modern Heracles. But back to the point, Superheroes and Philosophy is a great work that contains several illuminating articles on the most iconic cape-wearer in history. One of which written by Mark Waid, (famous comic writer/illustrator/Superman historian) that delves into the depths of the superheroic psyche in order to discover the roots of ethical action.

Superman acts unselfishly in order to be self-realized. Take that one in. Superman is only a self realized human being when his social needs (from Maslow's hierarchy) are met. However, this means that people have to accept him as he is. Unfortunately, as he is is downright frightening to most human beings. After all a man more powerful than a locomotive is understandably something scary.

So in order to fit in with society at large Superman can't afford to be threatening. He has to benifit all of mankind lest he risk wholesale rejection by the general populace. He's simply too powerful to act any other way and get away with it. If Superman had the Batman mentality they'd have nuked the fortress of solitude ages ago. Only when Superman is able to embrace his alien physiological gifts is he able to truly be himself. But because of his alien nature, these gifts distinguish him from the groups in which he struggles to belong. So in order to reconcile his alien nature with his domestic surroundings he uses his alien identity for the good of mankind while hiding amongst us. He recieves regular recognition through his efforts as a reporter, while keeping the world safe from villainy allows him completely be himself and recieve the appropriate award for being extroridnary.

So Supes is the world's greatest hero because he doen't want to be last picked in kickball. Isn't that just the biggest mindtrip your innerchild has been through in awhile? My head's still spinning.