The Philosophy of Batman: Part 1
Batman is one of the most iconic characters of all time.
While many will look at comic books as a rather childish medium, they could not
be further from the truth. Many stories involving Batman are rich with social
commentary and characters with distinct philosophical views. This difference in
philosophical ideology between Batman and his enemies is often what drives the
plot and makes for a compelling story. Batman
is one of the most complex comic book characters because he was not born with
or given powers so everything he does is by choice. Batman’s lack of powers
force him to make difficult decisions based on ethics and his own philosophical
ideals, such as who to save in certain situations since he can’t always save
everyone.
Batman’s
philosophical viewpoints mirror many of the ideas discussed throughout the
semester, many of which overlap. One prominent example is the ideas Batman
shares with Michael Machiavelli. One of Batman’s most prominent means of crime deterrent
is the use of fear. While for the most part batman will use whatever means to achieve
an end, he will not cross certain lines; his most known being that he will not
kill. He has however used many questionable or blatantly unethical means to
achieve goals, and does not always come off as the most “friendly” hero.
Such
examples include but are not limited to recruiting and training orphans to
fight crime, torturing criminals for information, Invasions of privacy,
stealing/ hacking information, and generally operating outside the law as a vigilante
are only a small sample of the questionable tactics used by the caped crusader
as a means to an end. These questionable actions are not necessarily what Batman wants to do, but what he sees as the most efficient means to the end.
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