Honors Theses
Advisor
Steve Bein, Ph.D.
Department
Philosophy
Publication Date
4-1-2023
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
For this project, the main question I set out to answer was is the DC Comics character Superman an accurate representation of Nietzsche’s Super-man theory? In his work Thus Spoke Zarathustra, which was published in four volumes throughout the 1880s, Nietzsche explored the idea of a moral exemplar who would rise above other moral theories and create a new, superior set of morals for all humans. Nietzsche titled this moral exemplar the Übermensch, or Super-man. Beyond the name relation, it felt appropriate to analyze Superman’s ethics because Superman is a popular public figure that is often seen as a force of good with a strong moral compass, a seemingly perfect candidate to rise above humans and lead them to better morals as Nietzsche’s moral exemplar does. I argue that while Superman does meet some of Nietzsche’s criteria for the moral exemplar, he does not meet all of them such as the requirement to develop a new moral system.
Permission Statement
This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.
Keywords
Undergraduate research
eCommons Citation
Newman, Mary K., "The Theory Behind the Cape: Research behind Nietzsche’s Super-Man Theory in Concert with DC’s Superman Origins and Evolution" (2023). Honors Theses. 411.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/uhp_theses/411
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