Iron Man and philosophy: facing the stark reality PDF
Preview Iron Man and philosophy: facing the stark reality
PHILOSOPHY/POP CULTURE W I L L I A M I RW I N IRWIN S E R I E S E D I T O R : Can Iron Man’s armor actually think? E D I T E D B Y • M A R K D W H I T E . Is Tony Stark’s intelligence the greatest source of Iron Man’s power? • Can Iron Man be both a superhero and the corporate property of Stark Industries? • Does the Iron Man technology point the way to a brighter future or a darkening horizon? • Can Tony Stark be a genuine superhero and a hard-drinking womanizer? On the surface, Iron Man appears to be a straightforward superhero, another rich guy fi ghting crime with fancy gadgets. But beneath the shiny armor and FAC I N G fl ashy technology lies Tony Stark, brilliant inventor and eccentric playboy, struggling to balance his desires, addictions, and relationships with his duties as THE the Armored Avenger. Iron Man and Philosophy explores the many philosophical issues that emerge from the essential confl icts found in the decades of Iron Man S T A R K stories in comics and movies. What kind of moral compass does Tony Stark have? Is Iron Man responsible for the death of Captain America after the Marvel R E A L I T Y Universe Civil War? Should people like Stark run the world? Ultimately, what can Iron Man teach us about the role of technology in society? MARK D. WHITE is a professor in the Department of Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY. He coedited Batman and Philosophy and edited Watchmen and Philosophy. WILLIAM IRWIN is a professor of philosophy at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, SSSSSSSSSFFFFFFFFFFF Pennsylvania. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books TTTTAAAA AC as coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen RI recent titles, including Batman and Philosophy, House and Philosophy, and N K Watchmen and Philosophy. G R ET AH To learn more about the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, LE visit www.andphilosophy.com I T $17.95 USA/$21.95 CAN Y EDITED BY WHITE Cover Image: © Corbis BLACKWELL PHILOSOPHY AND POP CULTURE SERIES This book has not been approved, licensed, or sponsored by any entity or person involved in creating or producing Iron Man, the comics, films, or TV series. ISBN: 978-0-470-48218-6 EAN: 9780470482186 ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiiiii 1122//2299//0099 11::5500::0077 PPMM I R O N M A N A N D P H I L O S O P H Y ffffiirrss..iinndddd ii 1122//3300//0099 11::5522::4499 PPMM The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series Series Editor: William Irwin South Park and Philosophy House and Philosophy Edited by Robert Arp Edited by Henry Jacoby Metallica and Philosophy Watchmen and Philosophy Edited by William Irwin Edited by Mark D. White Family Guy and Philosophy X-Men and Philosophy Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski Edited by Rebecca Housel and J. Jeremy Wisnewski The Daily Show and Philosophy Edited by Jason Holt Terminator and Philosophy Edited by Richard Brown and Lost and Philosophy Kevin Decker Edited by Sharon Kaye Heroes and Philosophy 24 and Philosophy Edited by David Kyle Johnson Edited by Richard Davis, Jennifer Hart Week, and Ronald Weed Final Fantasy and Philosophy Edited by Jason Blahuta and Battlestar Galactica and Michel Beaulieu Philosophy Edited by Jason T. Eberl Twilight and Philosophy Edited by Rebecca Housel and The Offi ce and Philosophy J. Jeremy Wisnewski Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski Batman and Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White and Robert Arp ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiii 1122//3300//0099 11::5522::5500 PPMM I R O N M A N A N D P H I L O S O P H Y FACI N G TH E STAR K R EALITY Edited by Mark D. White John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiiiii 1122//3300//0099 11::5522::5500 PPMM This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans- mitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record- ing, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifi cally disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fi tness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profi t or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Iron Man and philosophy: facing the Stark reality / edited by Mark D. White p.cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-470-48218-6 (pbk.) 1. Iron Man (Motion picture) I. White, Mark D., date. PN1997.2.I76I76 2010 791.43'72—dc22 2009031396 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ffffiirrss..iinndddd iivv 1122//3300//0099 11::5522::5511 PPMM CONTENTS Iron Introductions and Armored Acknowledgments 1 PART ONE THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF TONY STARK 5 1 The Stark Madness of Technology 7 George A. Dunn 2 The Technological Subversion of Technology: Tony Stark, Heidegger, and the Subject of Resistance 25 Rocco Gangle 3 The Literal Making of a Superhero 38 Travis N. Rieder PART TWO WEARING THE ARMOR RESPONSIBLY 51 4 Can Iron Man Atone for Tony Stark’s Wrongs? 53 Christopher Robichaud 5 Did Iron Man Kill Captain America? 64 Mark D. White 6 Fate at the Bottom of a Bottle: Alcohol and Tony Stark 80 Ron Novy vv ffttoocc..iinndddd vv 1122//2299//0099 11::5500::0066 PPMM vi CONTENTS PART THREE THE IRON AGE: TONY STARK’S ROLE IN SOCIETY 95 7 Tony Stark and “The Gospel of Wealth” 97 Andrew Terjesen 8 ™ and © Stark Industries: Iron Man and Property Rights 115 Daniel P. Malloy 9 Tony Stark, Philosopher King of the Future? 129 Tony Spanakos PART FOUR THE MIND INSIDE THE IRON MAN 145 10 Iron Man in a Chinese Room: Does Living Armor Think? 147 Ron Novy 11 Flexing His Intelligence: Tony Stark’s Brainy Brawn 160 Phillip S. Seng 12 Does Tony Stark Have an Iron Will? 172 Mark D. White PART FIVE THE VIRTUE OF AN AVENGER 187 13 Does Tony Stark Use a Moral Compass? 189 Sarah K. Donovan and Nicholas P. Richardson 14 Flawed Heroes and Courageous Villains: Plato, Aristotle, and Iron Man on the Unity of the Virtues 201 Carsten Fogh Nielsen ffttoocc..iinndddd vvii 1122//2299//0099 11::5500::0066 PPMM CONTENTS vii 15 “I Have a Good Life”: Iron Man and the Avenger School of Virtue 217 Stephanie Patterson and Brett Patterson PART SIX WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN IRON MAN 231 16 Iron Man and the Problem of Progress 233 David Valleau Curtis 17 Engendering Justice in Iron Man 245 Rebecca Housel and Gary Housel 18 Iron Man’s Transcendent Challenge 256 Stephen Faller CONTRIBUTORS: Avengers Assembled 265 INDEX: Topics from the S.H.I.E.L.D. File on Tony Stark/Iron Man 273 ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiii 1122//2299//0099 11::5500::0077 PPMM ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiiiii 1122//2299//0099 11::5500::0077 PPMM
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