Installment: 3
Batman the Übermensch
By: Josh King
Batman technically has no super powers but one could make
the argument that his indomitable will and unrealistic dedication to perfection
is super human in itself and could be seen as a super power. Batman’s
dedication to excellence allows him to fit the profile of an Übermensch, or
superman according to famed German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche; which is
rather ironic with Batman basically being the complete opposite of superman.
Like
Nietzsche, Batman’s higher consciousness, or Übermensch mentality surfaced
after the death of a loved one. Nietzsche’s mentality comes from the memories
of his father’s death, and his shattered friendship with Richard Wagner, the
most important relationship of his life. A reflection of this can be seen in
Batman being haunted by the memories of his parents, as well as the guilt he
feels for the death of Jason Todd (the second Robin who was killed by the
Joker), and the paralyzing of Barbra
Gordon (Batgirl, also done by the Joker).
Since Nietzsche didn’t give an exact
definition of the Übermensch others have given their interpretations. In an
article titled Nietzsche’s Übermensch: A
Hero of Our Time?, author Eva Cybulska states:
Nietzsche’s
reluctance to spell out exactly what he meant has provoked numerous
interpretations in the secondary literature. Hollingdale (in Nietzsche) saw in Übermensch a man who had organized the chaos within; Kaufmann (Nietzsche) a symbol of a man that
created his own values, and Carl Jung (Zarathustra’s
Seminars) a new ‘God’. For Heidegger it represented humanity that surpassed
itself, whilst for the Nazis it became an emblem of the master race. (philosophynow.org
par. 5)
Nearly all of these explanations describe Batman in one way
or another. “One who has had organized the chaos within” applies to Batman in
the fact that he has spent the majority of his life not only dealing justice to
the chaos that runs rampant on Gotham City, but the internal chaos the dwells
within him. Batman has to control his desires to kill the most heinous of
villains, such as the Joker to preserve his sense of justice. He does this so
he does not become just like those who he opposes and does not stoop to the
level of his arch nemesis. The explanation by Kaufmann of “a symbol of a man
that created his own values” is applicable to Batman in that, he has created
his own very distinct set of values that abides by his perception of justice. Whether or not Batman's brand of justice is actually "just", is a matter of perception. Below is a video that dives deeper into the subject and beautifully ties what we have talked about in class in relation to Batman.
Carl Jung’s explanation of a new god can now be taken literally in regards to
Batman, considering that in recent issues he has actually become a “New God”/
Batgod.
One of the
main characteristics of Batman that fans admire is that he is just an ordinary
man that has made the choice to dedicate his life to helping others. His indomitable
will inspires others to be the best they can be and to rise to the challenge
when called upon. He finds a way to win no matter what. If put to the task Batman
could find a way to beat cancer with a carton of cigarettes. The philosophy of
Batman is the philosophy of a winner.
Nietzsche's U'mensch is supposed to have mastered and subdued inner chaos, but does he dedicate himself to helping others? Is Batman clearly dedicated to helping others, or is he more fixated on discharging a personal obsession? The superior human/philosopher of the future surely will do a better job than either of reconciling him/herself to living well with others.
ReplyDeleteI don't that Nietzsche's Übermensch requires helping others, but in the case of Batman I feel that is an outlet that helps him keep that inner chaos subdued. I feel like Batman's actions are a little bit of both. He clearly acts on his obsession with justice/vengeance, but there are also instances where he shows real compassion for others, even if they are criminals. This a good example that shows this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWHHsdE_oQg . His charitable actions as Bruce Wayne also show that he is generally concerned with the wellbeing of others.
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