Watchmen and Philosophy

Alan Moore's Watchmen is set in 1985 and chronicles the alternative history of the United States where the US edges dangerously closer to nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Within this world exists a group of crime busters, who don elaborate costumes to conceal their identity and fight crime, and an intricate plot to kill and discredit these "e;superheroes."e; Alan Moore's Watchmen popularized the graphic novel format, has been named one of Time magazine's top 100 novels, and is now being made into a highly anticipated movie adaptation. This latest book in the popular Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series peers into Moore's deeply philosophical work to parse and deconstruct the ethical issues raised by Watchmen's costumed adventurers, their actions, and their world. From nuclear destruction to utopia, from governmental authority to human morality and social responsibility, it answers questions fans have had for years about Watchmen's ethical quandaries, themes, and characters.

Alan Moore's Watchmen is set in 1985 and chronicles the alternativehistory of the United States where the US edges dangerously closerto nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Within this world exists agroup of crime busters, who don elaborate costumes to conceal theiridentity and fight crime, and an intricate plot to kill anddiscredit these "superheroes."Alan Moore's Watchmen popularized the graphic novel format, hasbeen named one of Time magazine's top 100 novels, and is now beingmade into a highly anticipated movie adaptation. This latest bookin the popular Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series peersinto Moore's deeply philosophical work to parse and deconstruct theethical issues raised by Watchmen's costumed adventurers, theiractions, and their world. From nuclear destruction to utopia, fromgovernmental authority to human morality and social responsibilityit answers questions fans have had for years about Watchmen'sethical quandaries, themes, and characters.

Acknowledgments: They Left It Entirely in My Hands ixIntroduction: A Rorschach Test 1Part One The Politics of Power: Who Watches The Watchmen?1 The Superman Exists, and He's American: Morality in the Face of Absolute Power5Christopher Robichaud2 Can We Steer This Rudderless World? Kant, Rorschach, Retributivism, and Honor 19Jacob M. Held3 Super-Vigilantes and the Keene Act 33Tony Spanakos4 Superheroes and Supermen: Finding Nietzsche's Übermensch in Watchmen 47J. KeepingPart Two The Veidt Plan: Watchmen and Ethics5 Means, Ends, and the Critique of Pure Superheroes 63J. Robert Loftis6 The Virtues of Nite Owl's Potbelly 79Mark D. White7 Rorschach: When Telling the Truth Is Wrong 91Alex NuttallPart Three The Metaphysics of Dr. Manhattan8 Dr. Manhattan, I Presume? 103James DiGiovanna9 A Timely Encounter: Dr. Manhattan and Henri Bergson 115Christopher M. Drohan10 Free Will and Foreknowledge: Does Jon Really Know What Laurie Will Do Next, and Can She DoOtherwise? 125Arthur Ward11 I'm Just a Puppet Who Can See the Strings: Dr. Manhattan as a Stoic Sage 137Andrew TerjesenPart Four This Is Not Your Father's Comic Book12 "Why Don't You Go Read a Book or Something?"Watchmen as Literature 157Aaron Meskin13 Watchwomen 173Sarah Donovan and Nick Richardson14 Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis: The Ambiguously Gay Duo 185Robert Arp15 What's So Goddamned Funny? The Comedian and Rorschach on Life's Way 197Taneli KukkonenContributors: Who Writes about the Watchmen? 215Index: After the Masquerade 221