Superhero Thought Experiments: Comic Book Philosophy

Iowa City, IA, USA: University of Iowa (2019)
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Abstract

What would happen if lightning struck a tree in a swamp and transformed it into The Swampman, or if saving billions of lives required sacrificing millions first? The first is a philosophical thought experiment devised by Donald Davidson, the second a theme from a comic written by Alan Moore. I argue that that comics can be read as containing thought experiments and that such philosophical devises should be shared with students of all ages.

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Nathaniel Goldberg
Washington and Lee University

Citations of this work

Political Myths in Plato and Asimov.Nathaniel Goldberg - 2019 - Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy 2:1-19.

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References found in this work

Logic and Conversation.H. Paul Grice - 2013 - In Maite Ezcurdia & Robert J. Stainton (eds.), The Semantics-Pragmatics Boundary in Philosophy. Peterborough, CA: Broadview Press. pp. 47.
Real patterns.Daniel C. Dennett - 1991 - Journal of Philosophy 88 (1):27-51.
The Paradoxes of Time Travel.David Lewis - 1976 - American Philosophical Quarterly 13 (2):145-152.
Kinds of Minds.Daniel C. Dennett - 1996 - Basic Books.
The identity of indiscernibles.Max Black - 1952 - Mind 61 (242):153-164.

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