The Dark Knight of the Soul

I finished reading Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul and I was very pleased with it. The book is a collection of twenty essays by different scholars edited by Mark D. White and Robert Arp. People scoffed a lot when they saw what book I was reading. Sure, it may seem like an absurd connection of subjects, but it's very well done and actually quite academic.



The various authors present a wide variety of philosophical subjects and how they can be related to the fictitious character of the Batman. Some chapters focus on ethics and virtues, asking question about whether Batman should kill the Joker or if it's right to take a young boy under his wing to be Robin. Other essays address government and social order (and how they apply to Gotham City), questions of identity and ideal friendship, and existentialism.

I was already familiar with a lot of the examples and thought experiments described in these pages. They were the same ones I read about in my philosophy courses in college. However, I was most intrigued with the chapters about Batman existentialism, since it was rather new to me. My History of Philosophy classes never made it to existentialism, so I was treading on unfamiliar ground. It has spurred me to look for books by Camus and Heidegger to increase my infant knowledge of this strand of philosophy.

It may sound like a dumb idea for a book, but it actually works as a great introduction to many themes in philosophy. Plus, it's all about Batman, so that makes it extra cool.

And don't call me Boo.