Superman is probably the most morally-upright character in publication history. He strives to always make the right decision, and usually always does. Because of the character’s actions, he has come to be representative of absolute morality, and has become a moral compass to many. His example is so great that the Christian acronym “WWJD” (What Would Jesus Do?) has been appropriated and altered to read “WWSD” (What Would Superman Do?).
Alternatively, Superman’s unwavering morality has been the exact reason many people dislike the character and find him to be boring. “I just can’t get interested in a character that will always make the right decision. He’s too perfect.” This statement is echoed by many detractors, and often by ones who have never picked up a Superman comic book before.
In this week’s readings, I decided to take a look over at The Superman Homepage’s “Superman Philosophy” section. Over the summer, I had submitted my own essay regarding the character’s diminishing popularity and what it says about society. It was after writing my first essay for the website that I had discovered the section, but it was not until this week that I decided to read over a couple of the essays available.
The first essay I read was entitled “More Truth and Justice Than You’ll Ever Protect.” In it, the author writes about Superman’s morality, and how he acts as an inspirational figure more than a figure to relate with. The author additionally writes that a person’s capacity to do good does not determine their morality. Because Superman can lift tremendous weights and has powers and abilities far beyond those of ordinary mortals, he is able to do more good because he is physically able to. However, people can learn skills that give them a greater capacity to do good. The author also brings up the debate among philosophers regarding morality and intention. No definitive answers are given, but questions are certainly raised.
In another essay, “Super Incongruity,” the author begins by stating that Superman has been their moral compass for many years, despite being flawed and occasionally making the wrong decision. However, the author then moves into a pro-vegan piece by criticizing Superman’s apparent hypocrisy. Superman is a character that fights to protect all life, but one of his favorite meals is beef bourguignon. The author argues that if Superman was truly a protector of all life, he would be a vegan, and that he would heavily oppose the consuming of animals for food.
These are only a couple of the conversations about Superman being had within the Superman fan community.