Green Lantern and Philosophy: No Evil Shall Escape this Book – May 10, 2011 Author: Jane Dryden | Language: English | ISBN:
0470575573 | Format: EPUB
Green Lantern and Philosophy: No Evil Shall Escape this Book – May 10, 2011 Description
From the Back Cover
Is Hal Jordan a murderer?
What kind of strength is willpower?
Do emotions help or hurt a Green Lantern?
Can a Green Lantern power ring do anything imaginable—and should we worry if it can?
How can insects, mathematical equations, and planets be Green Lanterns?Green Lanterns and their awesome power rings inspire a sense of possibility and wonder that can last a lifetime. Anyone who dreams of how to make the world a better place can imagine ways to make that dream come true with a Green Lantern ring. Green Lantern and Philosophy shines an emerald light on the many philosophical questions raised in the comics, the films, and the animated series, tackling issues from Aristotle's view of the effect of emotions on virtue, to what Plato's tale of the Ring of Gyges tells us about Green Lanterns and the lust for power, to deciding who is the greatest Green Lantern of all time. So whether you're a fan of Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, or Alan Scott—and let's not forget Soranik Natu, Kilowog, Katma Tui, Salaak, Mogo, and even Sinestro—Green Lantern and Philosophy will bring enlightenment to help turn the blackest night into the brightest day!
About the Author
Jane Dryden is an assistant professor of philosophy at Mount Allison University.
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 and Iron Man and Philosophy.
William Irwin is a professor of philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. 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 Mad Men and Philosophy.
- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (May 10, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0470575573
- ISBN-13: 978-0470575574
- Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Overall, this entry in Blackwell's "Philosophy and Popular Culture" series is a solid effort that explores philosophical themes found in the Green Lantern comic book series. It is well-structured, and covers a number of different areas in philosophy: reason vs. emotion, ethics, friends and relationships, duty, metaphysics and power. There is a Notes section after each chapter, nine of which refer the reader to other essays in the collection. The number of Green Lantern comics referred to in the Notes sections show that either an incredible amount of research went into these essays, or that the contributors must really know Green Lantern inside and out. This book has two editors, and four of the contributors wrote two essays. (Both editors are in this group.) Personally, I find this a bit worrisome. I wonder why this happened, and if it affected the range and quality of the essays, and if it should have been avoided.
As is usual in any collection of essays, some are weak, a few are excellent, and most fall in between. In my opinion, weak essays were ones that loaded up on philosophers and read like a survey course or encyclopedia entry (chps. 2, 3, 15), may have identified solid themes yet failed to develop them in an engaging manner (chps. 7, 13, 16), or had no mention of any philosophers (chp. 4). Leonard Finkleman's "All for One and One for All" (chp. 15) asks how the power ring could identify a prospective Green Lantern candidate. Although an excellent theme, nevertheless, the essay was pedantic and exhausting in its execution. It felt like the History of Philosophy in eleven pages! Paul R. Jaissle's "Green Mind: The Book of Oa, the Lantern Corps, and Peirce's Theory of Communal Mind" (chp.
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