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The Virtues of Captain America: Modern-Day Lessons on Character from a World War II Superhero Paperback – February 10, 2014
Purchase options and add-ons
- Print length250 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWiley-Blackwell
- Publication dateFebruary 10, 2014
- Dimensions6 x 0.57 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101118619269
- ISBN-13978-1118619261
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"...this book is particularly interesting, stimulating, convincing, well-written, and well-documented--using an incredible number of examples, illustrations and quotations from Captain America's adventures." - Alain Marciano, Journal of Popular Culture
Review
“An illuminating, well-written volume that gives a whole new insight to Marvel Comics's Star-Spangled Avenger and what he stands for in the 21st century.”
Mark Waid, Marvel Comics writer
“An intriguing look at one of the most iconic and misunderstood characters in the history of comics. This book proves that ‘Cap’ is no one-dimensional flag-waver: he’s a fascinating and complex character who has continually reflected the changes in the equally complex nation he represents.”
J.M. DeMatteis,Writer―Captain America, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams
"Captain America matters more now than ever, and this book proves it. Digging deep, Mark White excavates ‘Cap's’ complexity, highlighting lessons and virtues that can help heal America."
William Irwin, General Editor of The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series
From the Inside Flap
Clad in an American flag, the patriotic comic book character Captain America was first portrayed battling against the forces of evil unleashed during World War II. Today, however, Captain America is often seen as a throwback to a simpler time, embodying a black-and-white ethical code poorly suited to the complexities of the modern world. In The Virtues of Captain America, philosopher and pop culture expert Mark D. White argues that "Cap" is indeed a hero for the contemporary era and someone to be emulated now more than ever. White reveals that Captain America's focus on core principles and ideals, combined with his sound judgment, compassion, and iron will, is anything but simple--and is precisely what we need to navigate 21st-century problems in our personal lives, our communities, and our country as a whole. White shows us that while Captain America is often regarded as a jingoistic flag-waver, he has been written consistently as representing a kind of patriotism that adheres to basic tenets of liberty and equality while staying above partisan politics. On several occasions, in fact, Captain America's devotion to these principles has led him to defy the American government when he feels it doesn't live up to its own ideals. Infused with philosophical insights couched in humor, The Virtues of Captain America shows us that by following Cap's example, people on both ends of the political spectrum can learn to put their differences aside and focus on their common ground--the basic principles that all of America embodies.
From the Back Cover
Clad in an American flag, the patriotic comic book character Captain America was first portrayed battling against the forces of evil unleashed during World War II. Today, however, Captain America is often seen as a throwback to a simpler time, embodying a black-and-white ethical code poorly suited to the complexities of the modern world. In The Virtues of Captain America, philosopher and pop culture expert Mark D. White argues that “Cap” is indeed a hero for the contemporary era and someone to be emulated now more than ever. White reveals that Captain America’s focus on core principles and ideals, combined with his sound judgment, compassion, and iron will, is anything but simple—and is precisely what we need to navigate 21st-century problems in our personal lives, our communities, and our country as a whole. White shows us that while Captain America is often regarded as a jingoistic flag-waver, he has been written consistently as representing a kind of patriotism that adheres to basic tenets of liberty and equality while staying above partisan politics. On several occasions, in fact, Captain America’s devotion to these principles has led him to defy the American government when he feels it doesn’t live up to its own ideals. Infused with philosophical insights couched in humor, The Virtues of Captain America shows us that by following "Cap’s" example, people on both ends of the political spectrum can learn to put their differences aside and focus on their common ground—the basic principles that all of America embodies.
About the Author
Mark D. White is Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY and co-editor of Batman and Philosophy.
Product details
- Publisher : Wiley-Blackwell; 1st edition (February 10, 2014)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 250 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1118619269
- ISBN-13 : 978-1118619261
- Item Weight : 12.3 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.57 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #559,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,888 in Philosophy of Ethics & Morality
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Mark D. White is Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, where he teaches courses in philosophy, economics, and law, and is also a member of the economics faculty at the Graduate Center of CUNY. He is the author of ten books: "Kantian Ethics and Economics" (Stanford University Press), "The Manipulation of Choice," "The Illusion of Well-Being," and "The Decline of the Individual" (all from Palgrave Macmillan), "The Virtues of Captain America: Modern-Day Lessons on Character from a World War II Superhero" and "Batman and Ethics" (both from Wiley Blackwell), "A Philosopher Reads Marvel Comics' Civil War," "A Philosopher Reads Marvel Comics' Thor," and "A Philosopher Reads Marvel Comics' Daredevil" (all from Ockham Publishing), and "Rights versus Antitrust" (Agenda Publishing), as well as over seventy journal articles and book chapters in the intersections between economics, philosophy, and law. He has edited or co-edited a number of books on these subjects, including "The Oxford Handbook of Ethics and Economics," "Economics and the Virtues: Building a New Moral Foundation" with Jennifer A. Baker, and "The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination" with Chrisoula Andreou (all from Oxford University Press), and has edited two book series: Perspectives from Social Economics (Palgrave Macmillan) and On Ethics and Economics (Rowman & Littlefield International).
He is also a frequent contributor and editor for the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, which introduces readers to basic philosophical concepts using the movies, TV shows, comic books, and music that they love. He has edited or co-edited volumes on Batman, Watchmen, Iron Man, Green Lantern, Superman, Doctor Strange, and the Avengers, and contributed to volumes on Black Panther, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, Black Sabbath, Metallica, South Park, The Office, Family Guy, and Alice in Wonderland.
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Written by Mark D.White - a professor and chair of the Department for Psychology at Staten Island College in the U.S - he must also surely be a huge comic book fan, as I dont think that anyone who wasnt a fan could write a work about the character of Captain America so painstakingly constructed and referenced.
Essentially a number of smaller essays compiled into one volume, the book attempts to refute the common assumption that Cap is simply a bunch of black-and-white ethics representitive of a simpler time wrapped up in a flag, and argues that he is indeed a hero for the modern era with values and ideals that relates to 21st century problems and our personal lives.
Chapters include discussion on ethics, whether a fictional character can ever be a real-life moral exemplar, looks at basic human virtues such as courage, humility and perseverance, tackles the specific virtues displayed by Captain America such as honour, respect, duty and sacrifice, considers the role of patriotism and what this does/should mean, looks at the role of politics, and asks whether we can achieve greater unity and civility in society by following the example set by a comic book hero.
The book refers to dozens of examples plucked from throughout the entire history and publication of the Captain America comic, ranging from his early adventures debuting in 1941 all the way to relatively recent adventures in stories such as 2008's big crossover event 'Civil War', and referring to various significant stories inbetween such as 'The Secret Empire' and 'The Captain' as evidence in order to construct his arguments.
As a lifelong Captain America fan, I thought the book remained an easy read throughout despite being no expert in the subject of psychology - something I had always considered somewhat stodgy and difficult to digest. Make no mistake however, this is a book about philosophy before it is a book about Cap, so some interest in the subject will likely be required.
in terms of complaints I have very few. At a little under 250 pages, with quite a few of those pages dedicated to referencing the authors many examples and sources, I do feel that the book could have been longer. Whilst in principle I agree with Whites decision to focus primarily on the mainstream comic book universes version of Steve Rogers as the 'real' Captain America, I cant help but think that it would have been worthwhile also examining alternate versions of the character, such as that seen in the movies, the much more aggressive and jingoistic version seen in the Ultimates comic universe, or even other men who have filled the boots of Captain America such as William Burnside (the Cap of the 1950's), or John Walker (aka USAgent).
Overall however a very nice read that compelled me to look at Captain America froma alternate angle, and allowed me to learn something a little different from one of my favourite comic book characters.