X-Men and Philosophy
Astonishing Insight and Uncanny Argument in the Mutant X-Verse
The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series
1. Edition March 2009
272 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
X-Men is one of the most popular comic book franchises ever, with successful spin-offs that include several feature films, cartoon series, bestselling video games, and merchandise. This is the first look at the deeper issues of the X-Men universe and the choices facing its powerful "mutants," such as identity, human ethics versus mutant morality, and self-sacrifice.
J. Jeremy Wisnewski (Oneonta, NY) is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Hartwick College and the editor of Family Guy and Philosophy (978-1-4051-6316-3) and The Office and Philosophy (978-1-4051-7555-5). Rebecca Housel (Rochester, NY) is a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, where she teaches about writing and pop culture. For William Irwin's biography, please see below.
Introduction: You are about to embark on an X-perience with "the strangest heroes of all".
X1-ORIGINS: THE X-FACTOR IN THE EXISTENTIAL.
1. The Lure of the Normal: Who Wouldn't Want to be a Mutant (Patrick Hopkins)?
2. Amnesia, Personal Identity and the Many Lives of Wolverine (Jason Southworth).
3. Is Suicide Always Moral: Jean Grey, Kant, and The Dark Phoenix Saga (Mark D. White).
4. X-istential X-Men: Jews, Supermen and the Literature of Struggle (Jesse Kavaldo).
X2-EVOLUTION: CONSCIOUSNESS, CONSCIENCE, AND CURE.
5. Mad Genetics: The Sinister Side of Biological Mastery (Andrew Burnett).
6. Layla Miller Knows Stuff: How a Butterfly Can Shoulder the World (George A. Dunn).
7. X-Women and X-istence (Rebecca Housel).
8. Mutant Rights, Torture and X-perimentation (Cynthia McWilliams).
9. When You Know You're Just a Comic Book Character: Deadpool (Joseph J. Darowski).
X3-UNITED: HUMAN ETHICS AND MUTANT MORALITY IN THE X-VERSE.
10. Magneto, Mutation and Morality (Richard Davis.
11. Professor X Wants You (Christopher Robichaud).
12. Dirty Hands and Dirty Minds: The Ethics of Mindreading and Mindwriting (Andrew Terjesen.
13. The Mutant Cure or Social Change: Debating Disability (Ramona Ilea).
14. Mutants and the Metaphysics of Race (Jeremy Pierce).
X4-THE LAST STAND: WAR, TECHNOLOGY, DEATH, AND MUTANT-KIND.
15. Mutant Phenomonology (J. Jeremy Wisnewski).
16. War and Peace, Power and Faith (Katherine E. Kirby).
17. High-Tech Mythology in X-Men (George Teschner).
Contributors: And Now, We'd Like to Introduce the X-Perts: Ladies and Gentleman, the Amazing, Astonishing, Uncanny, Ultimate Authors from Xavier's School for Gifted Philosophers!
Index.
J. JEREMY WISNEWSKI is an assistant professor of philosophy at Hartwick College and the editor of Family Guy and Philosophy and The Office and Philosophy.
William Irwin is a professor of philosophy at King's College. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles, including Batman and Philosophy, House and Philosophy, and Watchmen and Philosophy.
