Wonder Woman and Philosophy: The Amazonian Mystique explores a wide range of philosophical questions surrounding the most popular female superhero of all time, from her creation as feminist propaganda during World War II up to the first female lead in the blockbuster DC movie-franchise.
The first book dedicated to the philosophical questions raised by the complex and enduringly iconic super-heroine Fighting fascism with feminism since 1941, considers the power of Wonder Woman as an exploration of gender identity and also that of the human condition – what limits us and what we can overcome Confronts the ambiguities of Wonder Woman, from her roles as a feminist cause and fully empowered woman, to her objectification as sexual fantasy Topics explored include origin stories and identity, propaganda and art, altruism and the ethics of care, Amazonians as transhumanists, eroticism and graphic novels, the crafting of a heroine, domination, relationships, the ethics of killing and torture, and many more.
Contributors: The Myndi Mayer Foundation xi Acknowledgments xvii Editor’s Note xix Introduction: In and For a World of Ordinary Mortals 1 Jacob M. Held Part I You Are a Wonder Woman 3 1 Becoming a (Wonder) Woman: Feminism, Nationalism, and the Ambiguity of Female Identity 5 J. Lenore Wright 2 The God of War is Wearing What? Gender in the New 52 19 Sarah K. Donovan 3 Wonder Woman vs. Harley Quinn: The Paradox of the Moral Hero 31 Jill Hernandez and Allie Hernandez 4 Great Hera! Considering Wonder Woman’s Super Heroism 44 Trip McCrossin Part II Dispatches from Man’s World 55 5 Wonder Woman: Feminist Faux Pas? 57 Andrea Zanin 6 Feminist Symbol or Fetish? iek, Wonder Woman, and Final Crisis 72 Matthew William Brake 7 When Clark Met Diana: Friendship and Romance in Comics 81 Matthew A. Hoffman and Sara Kolmes Part III When I Deal with Them, I Deal with Them 91 8 Bound to Face the Truth: The Ethics of Using Wonder Woman’s Lasso 93 Melanie Johnson-Moxley 9 “What I Had to Do”: The Ethics of Wonder Woman’s Execution of Maxwell Lord 104 Mark D. White 10 Can a Warrior Care? Wonder Woman and the Improbable Intersection of Care Ethics and Bushido 115 Steve Bein 11 Wonder Woman: Saving Lives through Just Torture? 126 Adam Barkman and Sabina Tokbergenova 12 Wonder Woman Winning with Words: A Paragon of Wisdom, Disarming Threats One at a Time 133 Francis Tobienne Jr. Part IV God(s), Country, Sorority 141 13 Wonder Woman, Worship, and Gods Almighty: Purpose in Submission to Loving Authority 143 Jacob M. Held 14 Merciful Minerva in a Modern Metropolis 151 Dennis Knepp 15 Wonder Woman and Patriarchy: From Themyscira’s Amazons to Wittig’s Guérrillères 162 Mónica Cano Abadía Part V Tying Up Loose Ends 171 16 The Lasso of Truth? 173 James Edwin Mahon 17 Loving Lassos: Wonder Woman, Kink, and Care 188 Maria Chavez, Chris Gavaler, and Nathaniel Goldberg 18 Golden Lassos and Logical Paradoxes 198 Roy T. Cook and Nathan Kellen Index 209
Jacob M. Held is Associate Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, and Director of the UCA Core at the University of Central Arkansas. He is editor of Stephen King and Philosophy [2016], Roald Dahl and Philosophy: A Little Nonsense Now and Then ... [2014], Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks you can Think! [2011] and co-editor of The Philosophy of Pornography: Contemporary Perspectives [2014], Terry Pratchett and Philosophy (2014), and James Bond and Philosophy [2006]. William Irwin (series editor) is Herve A. LeBlanc Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Philosophy at King's College in Pennsylvania and is the author of The Free Market Existentialist. Irwin originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books with Seinfeld and Philosophy in 1999 and has overseen recent titles including House of Cards and Philosophy, Game of Thrones and Philosophy, and Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy.
Reviews for Wonder Woman and Philosophy: Amazonian Mystique
This collection provides an engaging set of arguments about the meaning of Wonder Woman in a philosophical, feminist and cultural context. Accessible both to academic and general readers, it offers a useful introduction to an array of philosophical theories ranging from Aristotle to Foucault. - Rachel Harris, Australian Women's History Network. The authors approach [Wonder Woman] as a serious work of fiction, worthy of study and debate, and with relevance for the questions of our own world. Whether a Wonder Woman fan who wants to dive deeper into Dianalysis, or a philosophy buff who is interested in how this pop culture phenomenon relate to the larger questions of philosophy and ethics, this is a book worth opening up. - Matthew Westfox- Creator, Superhero Ethics Podcast.
